The appointment of the Northern Territory's next administrator has been plunged into controversy following the emergence of past statements where he insulted the Prime Minister and made contentious claims about First Nations people and crime.
Controversial Comments Surface
David Connolly, the former president of the NT Cattlemen's Association, is due to begin his tenure as the King's representative in the territory next month. His role is equivalent to that of a state governor. However, his selection by Country Liberal Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro is now under intense scrutiny.
This follows the discovery of now-deleted social media posts and a speech from 2024 where Connolly expressed strong political views. In the speech to the NT Cattlemen's Association conference, he launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing him of lying to the public. He also described the campaign for the Indigenous Voice to parliament as "arrogant" and "ignorant".
Claims on Crime and Deleted Social Media
In the same address, Connolly directly addressed crime issues in the Territory. He contested former Chief Minister Eva Lawler's linking of crime to Australia's colonial history, stating: "The main group of people perpetrating these criminal actions have been in Australia for 60,000 years. The English didn't send them here." He attributed the problems to "soft Labor party policies on crime" and a "weak judiciary".
Further controversy stems from old social media posts, since removed, which included a joke referencing domestic violence in relation to the Greens and a post criticising Indigenous fire management practices as "arson". The account was reportedly deleted after journalists began making inquiries.
Mounting Calls for a Rethink
The revelations have sparked significant concern in Darwin, as the administrator's role is constitutionally required to be nonpartisan. Geoffrey Watson, director of the Centre for Public Integrity, has urged the government to reconsider the appointment before Connolly moves into Government House.
NT Labor leader Selena Uibo has echoed these concerns, stating that while Connolly was a strong advocate for the cattle industry, the administrator must "represent all Territorians with integrity, respect and political neutrality". She questioned whether his past comments allowed him to meet that standard.
Chief Minister Finocchiaro has defended her nominee, stating the government selected "someone who's going to fight for the territory and put our economy first". She predicted Territorians would "love him".
For his part, Connolly has not publicly addressed the emergence of his old statements. In a December interview after his appointment was announced, he told the ABC he would not be expressing political opinions publicly, acknowledging the role's apolitical nature.
