David Connolly Sworn in as Northern Territory Administrator Amidst Controversy Over Past Comments

David Connolly Sworn In as NT Administrator Amidst Protests Over Past Remarks

David Connolly was officially sworn in as the Northern Territory Administrator on November 17, a process that followed extensive public scrutiny regarding his past social media posts and speeches. The remarks, which included comments concerning Indigenous Australians, political figures, and women, led to widespread calls from various groups for his appointment to be rescinded or for him to issue an apology. Mr. Connolly released a public apology prior to his swearing-in, but the ceremony was still met by protests and an arrest outside the NT Parliament.

Appointment and Role

Mr. Connolly was nominated by Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro in December and assumed the role of Administrator, a position equivalent to a state governor. The role is designated as the nonpartisan representative of the Crown and is expected to be politically neutral. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Connolly served as president of the NT Cattlemen's Association (NTCA).

Controversial Past Statements Emerge

Concerns over Mr. Connolly's suitability for the role arose from posts made on his now-deleted X (formerly Twitter) account between 2019 and 2024, as well as comments from a speech delivered in 2024 as NTCA president.

• He criticized elders being compensated for Welcome to Country ceremonies, posting, "Hmmm welcome to my house; that'll be $3,000 thanks."
• Mr. Connolly critiqued traditional Aboriginal burning practices, describing them as "indiscriminately and illegally lit" bushfire and asserting, "There is no science, it is arson."
• He claimed Indigenous people were "fast-tracked" in the medical system compared to non-Indigenous individuals.
• A post defined "Indigenous" as "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place" and concluded, "On this definition, I am Indigenous to Australia."
• He questioned the slogan "Always Was, Always Will Be," by asking if "white fella's in the crowd [would] give the blackfella's in the crowd, their land."
• Remarks in a 2024 speech linked crime in the NT to "the main group of people perpetrating these criminal actions have been in Australia for 60,000 years."
• Critical remarks about Aboriginal land rights were made in a 2022 speech, specifically regarding the 1975 hand back of part of Wave Hill station.

• Mr. Connolly described Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a "boofhead" and reposted a tweet calling him "the largest arsehole in the world."
• He shared a Liberal Party post promoting its cost-of-living relief plan.
• In his 2024 speech, Mr. Connolly criticized the Labor party and Prime Minister Albanese regarding the 2011 decision on live cattle exports, stating the Prime Minister "lied."
• He characterized the Prime Minister's conduct during the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum campaign as "arrogant, ignorant, threatening and so wrong."
• Rising crime rates in the NT were attributed to the former Territory Labor government's "soft policies on crime" and a "weak judiciary."

• One post reportedly made a joke about domestic violence in reference to the Greens political party, stating, "According to the Greens I was supposed to go home and committ (sic) domestic violence, lucky I was too rooted."
• A late 2019 social media exchange saw Mr. Connolly comment on having a "relaxinf effect on women," followed by another user's reply about giving "chicks Rohypnal in there drinks," to which Mr. Connolly responded "Haha busted!!!!".
• A 2019 post shared a picture of a road train, referring to it as a "Lusty Wench."
• Comments were described as "denigrating of women" and trivializing sexual violence.

Immediate Backlash and Calls for Review

Upon the surfacing of these posts, various groups and individuals expressed significant concern.

• Three federal Labor politicians—Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy and NT-based MPs Marion Scrymgour and Luke Gosling—issued a joint statement describing Mr. Connolly's posts as "reprehensible and offensive" and called for an apology. They emphasized the administrator's role as a unifying, politically neutral figure.
• Matthew Ryan, Chair of the Northern Land Council (NLC), described some posts regarding Indigenous Australians as "racist" and "appalling." He stated the relationship between Mr. Connolly and the NLC was "fractured" and indicated he would not engage with Mr. Connolly if the appointment proceeded. Mr. Ryan urged the federal government and Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn to revoke their approval.
• NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo called on Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro to reconsider Mr. Connolly's nomination, stating the appointment should reflect Territorian values of inclusivity and diversity.
• Geoffrey Watson, director of the Centre for Public Integrity, suggested the government reconsider the appointment.

An open letter, delivered to Prime Minister Albanese on Monday, November 13, called for the immediate rescission of Mr. Connolly's appointment, a review of the advice and process, and clarification of suitability standards.

The letter was signed by 23 individuals, including opposition and independent politicians, the NT Anti-Discrimination commissioner, and representatives from the NLC and the Country Women's Association of the NT (CWANT). The CWANT specifically cited a deleted tweet from Mr. Connolly that referred to domestic violence, along with other comments about women and Aboriginal people, as reasons for their opposition. They stated they would not extend an invitation to Mr. Connolly or his partner for their annual high tea fundraiser. Domestic, family, and sexual violence researcher Chay Brown and Katherine Women's Information and Legal Service CEO Hannah George characterized Mr. Connolly's comments as "denigrating of women" and "harmful," stating his position was "untenable." Indigenous leaders stated they would not host the administrator in remote communities.

Government's Stance and Connolly's Initial Response

On Monday, Mr. Connolly released a statement asserting it was never his "intention to cause offence." He stated he fully understood the expectations of his role and noted that his former social media posts were made "at a time when having the honour and privilege of being the administrator was not even in my wildest dreams."

The NT's Country Liberal Party government indicated it did not plan to reconsider Mr. Connolly's appointment. Chief Minister Finocchiaro defended her nomination, stating Mr. Connolly was selected to "fight for the territory and put our economy first" and characterized the opposition's actions as politically motivated. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated he would not intervene to block the appointment, despite indicating it was not a decision he would have personally made. He cited a lack of precedent for federal government intervention in vice-regal appointments.

The Apology and Swearing-In

On Wednesday, Mr. Connolly issued a public statement:

"I deeply regret the past social media posts I made; I never intended to cause offence. I am genuinely sorry for the hurt they may have caused members of the community. These posts are no reflection of my personal core values."

He added his commitment to upholding community standards. Later, in a radio interview, he clarified that his apology was not because he did not mean the posts, but because he had come to understand they could be a "trigger" for people with different life experiences. Governor-General Sam Mostyn stated she was "pleased" with Mr. Connolly's "full apology" and noted discussions with him about the "restraint required" for the role, while declining to offer a personal or political view on his appointment.

On Friday, November 17, Mr. Connolly was officially sworn in as Administrator. His arrival at NT Parliament House in Darwin was met by a group of at least 100 protesters shouting slogans such as "not my administrator." Larrakia Traditional Owner Eric Fejo, 61, was arrested for trespass at the demonstration. Several federal and NT politicians, including federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy and NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo, attended the protest. The NT Parliament had restricted public gatherings outside the building for the ceremony. The NT Labor opposition and independent members boycotted the ceremony.

Administrator's First Steps and Future Outlook

In his inaugural address, Mr. Connolly paid respects to the Larrakia people and committed to impartiality and respect for all Territorians.

He urged people to "Judge me not by the first headlines, but by the months and years of service to the NT and its people that I have committed to."

Following his swearing-in, Mr. Connolly referred to the controversy as a "brouhaha" and stated his intention to use his office to address and change "blokey" or "clumsy" commentary in society. He announced his office would engage with associations to discuss how it can work to moderate such comments. Mr. Connolly reiterated that his "door is open" for community groups, despite some, including the NLC and CWANT, indicating they would not collaborate with him due to his past comments.