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.

The political fallout for Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and her ministerial team continued Wednesday over her choice of Mr Connolly for the role during a fiery radio interview in which she refused to say if she found any of Mr Connolly’s social media posts that made disparaging, discriminatory and demeaning statements about women, Indigenous people and the transgender community offensive.

“I fully accept there are many views on this,” Ms Finocchiaro said on Mix 104.9.

“There are people on both sides of this, this ledger, people can absolutely make their own minds up and I’m extremely respectful of that. But he has, His Honour, is the Administrator.”

Darwin lawyer John Lawrence told the ABC Radio Darwin Drive program that the Administrator role needed to be filled by someone of “absolute integrity and solid character and reputation”, adding Mr Connolly’s public statements show he does not meet those standards and should resign for the good of the Territory.

“The person that’s in this position has to be absolutely of sound character and fit and proper, as well as being [politically] balanced, intelligent and in a position to encourage what we so need, which is social cohesion,” Mr Lawrence told ABC.

“Now, what we now know about the man that the Chief Minister has chosen to appoint…is [he is] someone who is nothing remotely like what is required. This is a man who puts views which are vulgar, stupid and racist out into the public domain, and he’s had ample opportunity since we’ve all read them, to retract his views.

“He could have turned around like many do, and say, ‘oh, that was me then, I’m not like that’. He hasn’t done anything of the sort.”

Mr Lawrence referenced the NLC’s refusal to work with Mr Connolly, as well as the peak body representing Aboriginal organisations in the NT’s calls for his resignation.

“If he’s got any honour, if he’s got any pride in himself, and if he’s got any respect for that office, he’ll do what Brian Martin did when he was appointed as a royal commissioner [and resign]…because there’s going to be controversy upon controversy,” he said.

“None of the [Indigenous population] want a bar of this. They’ve all come out already, and they’ll come out in greater numbers and louder voices, and they’ll say, we don’t want this man as our Administrator. That’s never happened before in Territory history. And they can turn up at Parliament when he starts Parliament and when he ends Parliament [to protest]. And this will happen everywhere he goes.”

Former NT Supreme Court Judge Brian Martin was appointed the commissioner of the royal commission into youth detention in the Northern Territory in 2016, but resigned following outcry from Indigenous Territorians that he was not suitable for the role and they did not want him presiding over the royal commission. His decision to resign to put the royal commission’s integrity above himself so it had “the confidence of key persons and organisations and of the wider community” was lauded by many.

NT Bar Association says Administrator should be ‘dignified’, represent ‘the whole community’

The typically quiet NT Bar Association president Cameron Ford issued a statement to say that while the NTBA “does not engage in party politics”, it does “speak out on matters that affect the Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law”.

“The role of the Administrator is a crucial constitutional position in the Northern Territory,” the statement said.

“The Administrator represents the King and plays an important role in upholding democratic values and the rule of law. It is a unifying role for all Territorians.

“For that reason, the office depends on public confidence. The Administrator must be politically neutral, act with restraint, and be widely seen as dignified, impartial, and suitable for the role.

“The office should represent the whole community —not just those with power or influence.

“The Bar Association hopes that all appointments to this important office strengthen, rather than undermine, confidence in the institution and constitutional system it serves.

Ms Finocchiaro has not been questioned in Parliament this week about her appointment of Mr Connolly due to an interpretation of a standing order that forbids all MLAs from making “disrespectful” comments about the head of state and his representative, which Speaker Robyn Lambley interpreted to mean that Mr Connolly’s name could not be mentioned.

The CLP used the ruling to hide from questions again on Wednesday, even as Labor attempted to suspend standing orders to have a “free discussion of community concerns” about the appointment, which was shot down by the CLP.

Chief Minister has ‘no idea what she’s doing’: Lawyer

On Mix 104.9, Ms Finocchiaro was asked if the Federal Government had raised any concerns with her or her office about Mr Connolly’s appointment.

“Look, this had, there was nothing that came to me that raised any concern,” she said.

“If I had the opportunity to make this decision again, I would still give him a chance to prove himself.”

Radio host Katie Woolf then asked Ms Finocchiaro why she still wanted him in the role after the social media posts were exposed, which appeared to contradict her previous position that former police minister Brent Potter should resign after his racist social media posts were revealed in 2024.

“Can you see how people would think that’s hypocritical though, that you were calling for Brent Potter to stand down [over his posts] but then you are saying with David Connolly, ‘give him a chance’?” Ms Woolf said.

“If people want to draw that conclusion…Again, my job is, I mean, there are so many things happening,” Ms Finocchiaro said, attempting to change the subject.

Ms Woolf said the issue was around Ms Finocchiaro’s judgment and her “decision-making process”.

“People are scratching their heads, because they’re sort of going, well, you know, you’re sort of prepared to kind of die in a ditch over this appointment when there’s plenty of other really wonderful Territorians who could also have been appointed,” she said.

“In our view, the best possible person has been selected for the job,” Ms Finocchiaro responded. “But I accept that other people do not share that view.”

Asked if she believed Mr Connoly could “bring the community together”, Ms Finocchiaro said: “I really believe that Territorians are really going to love him”.

Mr Lawrence did not hold that level of optimism, adding he expects protests to ramp up.

“There’s going to be a lot of people continuing to demonstrate about the fact that this man is not fit and proper to hold this office,” he said.

“Look at the previous holders of the administrator role. They’re all people of absolute, impeccable character. It would appear that our Chief Minister has no idea what she’s doing in this job.

“If she thinks that [because] he’s got knowledge of agriculture…that allows him to become the King’s representative and the Administrator of the Northern Territory, she doesn’t know what she’s doing. So, I think we have to ignore her and hope that David Connolly will do what he needs to do now, which is save the position of administrator and walk away from it.”