EDITORIAL: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s defence of choosing David Connolly as Administrator this week has done nothing to calm rising tensions in the wider community and instead raised questions about what type of agenda she’s driving that was not fully disclosed to Territorians ahead of the last NT election.
The Opposition and independent MLAs spectacularly walked out of Parliament Thursday in protest after a series of fiery exchanges about the appointment of Administrator David Connolly, which started when respected Yolngu leader and MLA for Mulka Yingiya Guyula was gagged from attempting to ask the Chief Minister about the appointment, which he said was for his constituents who want to know why a man with a history of making racially vilifying comments about Aboriginal people was given the highly respected role.
The public’s confidence in the role of NT Administrator has been badly shaken by the appointment of David Connolly, a senior Darwin barrister has said, while the NT Bar Association also raised concerns about his suitability for the “crucial constitutional position”, as the Chief Minister claimed Wednesday that while she was not aware of Mr Connolly’s offensive posts before recommending him, she would do it again because he is the “best possible person” in the Territory for the role.
CLP Government ministers were unable to provide simple answers in Parliament about basic NT public service code of conduct conditions while the Labor Opposition bombarded ministers with veiled questions about the appointment of David Connolly as Administrator after being shut down by the Speaker, who forbade any mention of Mr Connolly’s name, while attempting to move a motion calling for his revocation.
Confusion reigned Monday over who the current King’s representative in the Territory is after the Chief Minister said David Connolly was the Administrator with “limited powers” while the Administrator’s office said last week Chief Justice Michael Grant would be acting Administrator until February 27, with the situation further convoluted by Speaker Robyn Lambley issuing an internal email warning MLAs not to be “disrespectful” to Mr Connolly when Parliament resumes this week.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is “worried” about whether the CLP Government’s pick for Administrator David Connolly is “able to properly represent the Northern Territory in a way which is appropriate” but ruled out overturning the appointment on Tuesday, stating that Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s government must “explain and defend” its choice.
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.
The peak body representing Aboriginal organisations in the Territory has rejected David Connolly as the next NT Administrator and called for the NT and Federal Governments to terminate his appointment following his recently revealed social media comments and views that they say “undermine trust and respect across our diverse population”.
Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarandirri McCarthy and two federal MPs have labelled incoming NT Administrator David Connolly’s social media comments “reprehensible and offensive” and called for a public apology, while a national media outlet has reported further racially-charged commentary during a 2024 speech in which Mr Connolly also said that while he does not “offer offence, you are free to take it”.
The NT Opposition has called for the appointment of David Connolly as the next Administrator to be “put on hold and reviewed”, writing to the Governor-General over the weekend to seek “further advice” following revelations of his offensive social media comments, while Mr Connolly issued a statement on Monday claiming that he did not mean to “cause offence”, but stopped short of apologising to Indigenous Territorians for his repeated online ridicule.
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.
Attendance rates at Northern Territory schools in 2025 dropped by half a per cent on 2024 despite the introduction of truancy officers in November of that year. Education Minister Jo Hersey said today she was doubling down on her government’s plan to get kids to school and hold parents accountable for non-attendance, but did not directly reference the marginal decline.
