EXCLUSIVE: The CLP’s new NT Administrator David Connolly wrote on a social media post about Aboriginal people that “you cannot convince me they are doing good for the country” and in another post claimed that based on a dictionary definition “I am Indigenous to Australia”, while also mocking Welcome to Country ceremonies, a cache of now deleted X posts obtained by the NT Independent reveal.

In other posts between 2020 and 2024, Mr Connolly, a former president of the NT Cattlemen’s Association, seemed to suggest he felt Indigenous children were provided special treatment to attend boarding schools at taxpayer expense, that Aboriginal people were given quicker access to health services in remote areas and repeatedly complained about “inequality” for white people in the Northern Territory.

The Finocchiaro CLP Government announced Mr Connolly as the new Administrator late last month, after his selection was stalled for months by the Federal Labor Albanese Government for unknown reasons.

Mr Connolly also shared social media memes attacking the Albanese Government, including one reported by the NT News on Friday in which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was compared to a Blue Whale’s “anus”, as well as a homophobic post about an alleged transgender athlete and another post about ethnicity.

The posts conveying Mr Connolly’s views on Aboriginal people have raised serious concerns about his ability to carry out the role of Administrator, that aside from statutory responsibilities with the Legislative Assembly, is also responsible for engaging with the community to “emphasise issues that promote community cohesion” with the position “seen as a symbol of unity, who represents all Territorians”.

In one thread on X about a Conversation article into Aboriginal cultural burning practices, Mr Connolly, who is also the general manager of the Tipperary Group of stations in the NT, attacked the long-standing practice.

“We fight Indigenous lit bushfire [sic] indiscriminately and illegally lit in our paddocks every year,” he wrote.

“There is no science, it is arson. If a white man did it he would be severely fined.

“After experiencing this, you cannot convince me they are doing good for the country.”

In another post from June 2020, Mr Connolly commented on a thread about a study that found three-quarters of Australians are biased against Indigenous Australians, in which someone asked “who do we call Indigenous? 100% 50% 25% surely no lower”.

Mr Connolly responded: “Indigenous – ‘originating or occurring naturally in a particular place’. On this definition, I am Indigenous to Australia.”

Mr Connolly also weighed in on an X thread from December 2024, in which a First Nations woman wrote that she was disgusted that the Melbourne Storm rugby league team was scaling back Welcome to Country ceremonies.

Another commenter calling themselves “Straight Shooter” asked “Do aboriginals do the Welcome to Country ceremonies as a free service?? I’ve never heard of people welcoming people to there [sic] so called area and then charging them???”

Mr Connolly responded: “Hmmm welcome to my house; that’ll be $3,000 thanks.”

In yet another post, Mr Connolly wrote: “My part indigenous Truck driver told me he slipped off his truck today, banged his head and will get a black eye. I replied ‘how would you tell?” He ended the post with laughing emojis.

In further 2020 posts to the thread referencing the study about bias against Indigenous Australians, Mr Connolly said “what pisses people off” is seeing one group of people get preferential treatment over others “based on race”.

“When we send people in to seek medical help off the station, the non-indigenous have to wait on the system, the indigenous are fast-tracked, and paid for,” he wrote.

“Interestingly, kids from the station school have to self fund their sport, the indigenous kids do not have to. The boarding school kids have to fund their travel to and from school, the indigenous kids do not. The taxpayer pays for it.

“So I see bias up here in the NT directed at what benefits certain people get, and what others don’t get. I see anger at the concessions and unfairness more than any racism.”

Questions for Mr Connolly about the posts sent to the Administrator’s Office were not responded to on Friday.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro was asked about the racist posts at a press conference on Friday morning but said she had not seen them. The NT Independent sent her six of the posts following the press conference. Her office did not respond.

“At the end of the day, this [appointment] has been approved by the Northern Territory Government and the Federal Government and Mr Connolly will be our next Administrator and we cannot wait to work with him,” Ms Finocchiaro said before calling the press conference off after fielding further questions about Mr Connolly’s appointment from other media.

Ms Finocchiaro called for former Labor police minister Brent Potter to resign in early 2024, after the NT Independent revealed his racist, sexist, antisemitic and misogynistic social media posts, but would not say on Friday if she would be asking Mr Connolly for his resignation.

“I’ve not seen the detail [of the posts] and at the end of the day, we’ve selected someone who’s going to fight for the Territory and put our economy first … and I really think Territorians are going to love him,” she said.

Her office did not respond to follow-up questions, including if a vetting process was undertaken before the appointment.

Deputy Opposition Leader Dheran Young said the Chief Minister needs to properly address Mr Connolly’s posts and explain if she knew about them before recommending him as Administrator.

“The Administrator for the Northern Territory should uphold the highest standards of conduct and integrity,” Mr Young said.

“The role requires them to represent all Territorians and promote community cohesion.

“The Chief Minister needs to explain to Territorians whether she knew about Mr Connolly’s racist, sexist, and homophobic social media posts before advocating for his appointment as Administrator and if so, does this mean she agrees with these views?

“The Chief Minister either supports Mr Connolly’s comments, or she will need to admit she’s made an unacceptable appointment and fix it.”

Mr Connolly was selected for the role by the CLP Government early in 2025, but the appointment, which needed to be officially made by the Governor-General, was delayed by more than five months by the Albanese Government, which said in November it was still assessing the appointment. It later approved the selection.

Mr Connolly is scheduled to be officially sworn into the role next month.

Governor General Sam Mostyn’s office declined to comment on Mr Connolly’s social media posts. Mr Albanese’s office was contacted for comment but did not respond by deadline.

Mr Connolly was in the news last month for his glowing character reference letter for convicted celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright, in which Mr Connolly said Wright was “from country roots and values and has grown into a fine young man”, despite his conviction for attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the police investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash that killed Chris Wilson.