Calls grow to rethink NT administrator after racist posts surface

Pressure is mounting on the Northern Territory government to rethink the appointment of pastoralist David Connolly as the Territory’s next administrator, after a series of past social media posts and speeches about Aboriginal people were labelled racist and offensive.

Mr Connolly, a former president of the NT Cattlemen’s Association, was nominated by Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro in December and is due to be sworn in next month as the Territory’s 24th administrator – a role equivalent to a state governor and meant to be politically neutral.

Past posts from Mr Connolly’s now‑deleted X account and earlier speeches show him criticising Welcome to Country ceremonies, mocking Invasion Day protesters and claiming First Nations people were the main group responsible for crime in northern Australia.

In one post, Mr Connolly dismissed the slogan “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land” suggesting white protesters would only be serious if they handed over their homes to Black protesters.

Peak Aboriginal bodies say that history makes him unfit to act as the King’s representative in a jurisdiction where Aboriginal people make up about a third of the population.

Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT chair Theresa Roe said Mr Connolly’s comments undermined trust and respect across the Territory and reinforced harmful narratives that blame Aboriginal Territorians for crime and disadvantage. She warned the appointment would entrench division and called on both the NT and Commonwealth governments to revoke it.

Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan has also described posts from Mr Connolly’s account as racist, saying he is “disgusted and very disappointed” and will not engage with the new administrator if the appointment goes ahead.

Three federal Labor representatives for the Territory (Indigenous Australians Minister Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and MPs Marion Scrymgour and Luke Gosling) issued a joint statement calling the posts “reprehensible and offensive” and urging Mr Connolly to apologise. They said the administrator should be a unifying figure “above party politics” who represents all Territorians.

Despite the backlash, Chief Minister Finocchiaro has stood by her choice, arguing Mr Connolly will “fight for the Territory” and put the economy first. The Country Liberal Party government has said it has no plans to reconsider the appointment.

Mr Connolly has stopped short of apologising. In a written statement he said it was never his intention to cause offence, that “I fully understand and appreciate the expectations of the community and my role as administrator”, and that he will be “a fierce advocate for all Territorians”.