Speculation that Adam Goodes has been approached by Labor to stand as a candidate at the next federal elections follows years of reporting about his interest in politics. There are many issues, including education and anti-racism, that the controversial Indigenous spokesperson has plans to spend a lifetime advancing in public life of some sort. There is no doubt the 2014 Australian of the Year and retired Sydney Swans AFL star would have a great deal to offer Australian political life. There is also little doubt that that he would be seen as a great catch for any political party.
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The rumours are that Goodes has been approached initially by Indigenous Senator for the Northern Territory Nova Peris. This news has been followed by denials all round, including by Goodes' manager and by Labor. Goodes himself has vacillated over the past couple of years from expressing interest without nominating a political party, to saying in mid-2015 that he was definitely not interested.
Goodes falls into a subset of celebrity candidates; elite sportsmen and women. Presently there are four in the Federal Parliament representing various parties. They include dual Olympian Peris herself; Davis Cup tennis star John Alexander; world championship rower Senator Cory Bernardi and rugby league international Senator Glenn Lazarus.
With the exception of Bernardi, whose sporting career was cut short, these MPs were well-known as sportsmen and women before entering parliament. In several cases their sporting celebrity played a part in their pre-selection. But without doubt if he entered parliament Goodes would rank alongside swimmer Dawn Fraser as among the most outstanding sportspeople ever to become politicians.
Furthermore, because of his term as Australian of the Year, Goodes also falls among another subset of celebrity candidates who were already well-known for their general contributions to public life. Recent examples include the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, for his contribution to high-profile legal cases and to the republican movement, and Peter Garrett, for his contributions to the music industry (in the band Midnight Oil) and to the environmental movement (in the Australian Conservation Foundation).
Celebrity candidates are the exception rather than the rule. It doesn't mean that they are better than other candidates (in fact their experience in elections and in office is mixed), but they are different. Such candidates may be controversial, as Goodes certainly is in some parts of the community, so there may be some sort of backlash too. But overall they put a shine on the party of their choice. They are the sort of candidate who can lift all boats and therefore may be seen as the ideal candidate to lead a Senate team.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is correct when he says we do need more people with Goodes' credentials in parliament. But they themselves have to be sure that it is the right place for them to be. Goodes would also be aware that celebrities usually enter parliament under the weight of enormous expectations. They are set very high standards of achievement, including often by themselves and their causes. They are expected to be the stars in politics that they have been in their previous lives. If I was counselling him I would advise him to weigh up the pros and cons of such a move extremely carefully before he jumps in.