Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro is facing increased political pressure to explain her controversial decision to appoint David Connolly as the NT’s next Administrator following national media coverage and growing concerns over his disparaging social media commentary, while not one CLP MLA has voiced public support for the appointment, the NT Independent can reveal.

All 16 CLP Members of NT Parliament, outside of Ms Finocchiaro, were sent questions about the appointment of Mr Connolly on Friday, including whether they supported his nomination and whether they knew about his social media commentary before he was announced, that included attacks on Aboriginal people and culture, railing against what he called “inequality” for white Australians, politically attacking Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, mocking domestic violence and making disparaging comments about women and transgender people.

Not one CLP wing member responded to indicate support for the appointment.

The NT Independent also understands that Mr Connolly’s nomination for Administrator was the latest in a long line of controversial “captain’s picks” by Ms Finocchiaro that Cabinet did not discuss and were only informed about days before the public announcement on December 22.

Ms Finocchiaro has repeatedly declined to answer questions about the appointment since she was first asked about Mr Connolly’s social media comments at a press conference on January 16, which she cut short out of frustration.

She said twice at that press conference that she had not seen any offensive commentary by Mr Connolly, which the NT News rebuked in an article on January 17, in which it reported Ms Finocchiaro was sent a number of Mr Connolly’s posts from his recently deleted social media platform X between 2020 and 2024 earlier that week.

The NT Independent first revealed those posts after sending Ms Finocchiaro and Mr Connolly a selection of the posts on January 16, seeking comment before the article ran.

“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 at the press conference, while adding that both the NT and Federal governments approved the selection.

She has since refused to answer questions, including if she personally agrees with Mr Connolly’s views on Aboriginal Territorians and how the comments were supposedly not discovered during the vetting process.

The NT Administrator role, that comes with a hefty $377,000 annual salary, as well as residence at Government House, a personal chef and chauffeur, is traditionally given to an individual seen as politically neutral who is entrusted with constitutional powers and influence, while also seen as a symbol of “unity” for Territorians while acting as the King’s representative in the Territory.

“For one of the most significant appointments in the Territory, the Chief Minister saying she was unaware of these issues is simply not good enough,” Opposition Labor Leader Selena Uibo said in a statement.

“This is no longer just about one individual, it is about the Chief Minister’s flawed judgment and whether proper processes were followed.

“I have requested a full briefing with the Chief Minister on how this appointment was vetted, what checks were undertaken, and how his past public comments were missed in the vetting process.

“Territorians are entitled to know whether this was a failure of process or a failure of leadership – or both.”

While in government in 2024, Territory Labor came under fire for past racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-semitic comments made by then-police minister and Fannie Bay MLA Brent Potter, which were revealed by the NT Independent, leading Ms Finocchiaro to call for his resignation.

Then-chief minister Eva Lawler took no action against Mr Potter for the comments, but did front media to take questions, labelling him an “idiot”, while claiming he had matured as a person after posting the comments years earlier.

Mr Potter was resoundingly defeated at the August 2024 general election, losing to current CLP Member for Fannie Bay Laurie Zio, who was one of the 16 CLP MLAs who refused to say whether they supported Mr Connolly’s appointment on Friday.

Ms Lawler later lost her Palmerston seat and Labor were annihilated at the August 2024 polls. All four current Opposition Labor MLAs are Indigenous from bush electorates with a high percentage of Aboriginal voters.

Ms Uibo has been more vocal about the Connolly appointment than her federal colleagues, with Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy and Territory Labor MPs Luke Gosling and Marion Scrymgour calling for Mr Connolly to apologise for his “reprehensible and offensive” remarks rather than offer his resignation.

Their statement last week was heavily criticised by NLC chair Matthew Ryan, who accused the federal Labor members of “failing” Indigenous Territorians by not calling for him to go.

Questions about Connolly’s ‘connection’ to NT also raised

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office, which delayed the announcement of Mr Connolly as the Administrator for at least five months last year for unexplained reasons, raising the ire of Ms Finocchiaro, has repeatedly declined to comment, with Ms McCarthy’s statement alluding to the Federal Government’s position that the Northern Territory chooses its Administrator despite it giving the appointment its final tick of approval.

Mr Ryan said last week that the federal Labor members were “tip-toeing” around the issue by issuing their “wishy-washy” call for an apology, adding he would not work with Mr Connolly if he becomes Administrator next month.

“It’s an insult and offence to all Aboriginal people,” he said. “The remarks towards us, it’s demeaning…it’s quite offensive and wrong. Get someone who is appropriate, who will work with the Northern Territory Aboriginal people.”

Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT also called for Mr Connolly to be stood down, stating that his comments “reinforce harmful narratives and demonstrate a lack of upstanding qualities required of such an appointment”.

“The NT Administrator holds considerable power and influence,” APONT chair Theresa Roe said. “It also demands the confidence and trust of Aboriginal people – trust that can only be earned through an honest understanding of power, history and privilege.”

Mr Connolly has also refused to answer questions, issuing a statement last week that did not offer an apology and claiming he did not intend to “cause offence”. He also said he made the comments before the idea of serving as Administrator had entered his “wildest dreams” and that he now “fully” understands and appreciates “the expectations of the community and my role as Administrator”.

Mr Connolly’s lack of connection to the Northern Territory has also been raised, including by Ms Uibo who questioned his “experience and understanding of the broader Territory [that] is required for this important role”. In her official announcement of Mr Connolly as Administrator last month, Ms Finocchiaro did not state how long he had been in the NT, but claimed that he is “the embodiment of the Territory spirit” because he is a “true cattleman [with] a sharp mind”.

“Finocchiaro’s silence is not leadership,” Ms Uibo said about the Chief Minister’s repeated refusal to answer questions.

“Confidence in this appointment has been badly damaged. Lia Finocchiaro must front up, explain how this was allowed to happen, and take responsibility for restoring trust in the integrity of the Administrator’s office.”