By John Lawrence

OPINION: On ANZAC Day 2026, major wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominate our news as Western Civilisation’s lurch towards the end has become a gallop. The collapse of “The West” is well and truly on and like anything else there are explanations for this existential tragedy. Thirty years ago it all seemed immutable. Not anymore. In the disaster caused by the “Post-Truth Age” Australia’s renowned culture of complacency and indifference, along with its “lucky” and wasteful materialism, metastasized into our individual and collective moral decline, which has now taken us to the last stages of Western capitalism and democracy.

Our planet’s terminally damaged biosphere sits well with our own growing physical and mental ill health. Most of our institutional and political leaders are, at best, incompetent and at worse, bad people. Nothing works properly anymore. Trump and his cronies are not mad people. They are seriously bad people. And for “people”, read white men.

We have arrived at the brink of the abyss, and Australians continue to “not see it”. We have become fallen, living in fallen times. We are sheep and our days as an actual species are numbered. In the last 30 years, mankind’s main faculty, being our power of reason through cognitive and critical thought has, for a combination of reasons, been virtually “switched off”. We have become brain lazy, brain washed, and brain damaged with our replacement, AI, the highly profitable next stage of technology, now perched to move into the “pilot’s seat”. “She’s yours to fly,” says one Silicon oligarch to the next one. The future US President Vance looks on approvingly.

At this time in history, when the chips are seriously down, the only chance we have is for individuals and our leaders to step up and establish a counterculture of moral awakening and regeneration.

But – and it’s a big but – in 2026 Australia, we look up and see what? The resurgent Pauline Hansen; NewsCorp everywhere; Chris Bowen; Angus Taylor; Kyle Sandilands; Penny Wong; the ABC of Kim Williams; Barnaby Joyce, etc., etc., etc. And confirming this train wreck and how catastrophic these times really are; President Donald Trump: lying; bombing; abusing Pope Leo; killing; lying. Lying. How could this have happened in such a short period of time?

There are many reasons. Let’s go back to the 18th Century for a clever and prescient quote. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – attributed to historian Edmond Burke.

‘The Man In The Big Hat’

The facts and the players involved in the recent appointment of the Northern Territory’s 24th Administrator David Connolly present a morality play which not only illustrates the moral abyss to which we have descended, but also how this decline occurs through the inadequacies and unprincipled actions of our institutional and political leaders.

The major players in the “Play” are our political leaders, namely the Australian Governor-General, Sam Mostyn; the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese; the NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and the new NT Administrator, David Connolly. Other players were: APONT (Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the NT), Darwin ABC radio presenter Jess Ong and NLC Chairman Mathew Ryan. As in all Morality Plays, The Doctor, being the “character” (author), will suggest the moral issues and lessons that come from the drama.

1. The Background

The plot unfolded in June last year when Finocchiaro, going against time-honoured conventions and requirements, nominated Mr David Connolly, former President of the NT Cattleman’s Association as the next Administrator of the NT to commence in February 2026. As with Australia’s Governor-General and all State Governors, convention requires the holder of that office to be a person of impeccable moral integrity, politically neutral, and one who can and will encourage social harmony and community cohesion.

Sir William Deane and Dame Quentin Bryce nationally, and former NT Administrators James Muirhead and Sally Thomas come to mind to illustrate the point. Controversy inevitably ensued because Connolly was no such person, as Finocchiaro knew only too well.

His previous speeches as NT Cattleman’s Association President revealed his strident traditional right-wing political views which included aggressive attacks on the Labor side of politics, calling the PM a ‘liar’ and a ‘boofhead’. He spoke against “The Voice”, “Treaty” and regularly railed against environmentalists, as well as practising what he preached by being involved in growing dryland cotton and investing in a cotton gin. Not a political neutral but a man with robust partisan views.

Further, following his nomination going public in December 2025 the exposure of his public social media posts revealed a man of hurtful and bigoted opinions which put paid to the convention requiring moral integrity. This all revealed that Finocchiaro’s nomination, flying in the face of convention, was a political decision straight out of the Donald Trump ‘playbook’, in that it clearly undermined a traditional institutional pillar which, up until then, had upheld the Westminster system of democratic government. Consistent with this, Finocchiaro, in advocating for Connolly, argued he would “have a huge role to play” and would bring to the role “a change of pace”.

2. The Setting

Of crucial importance in this Morality Play is that it is set in the Northern Territory where 30 per cent of the population is Indigenous.

One of Australia’s greatest challenges and issues as a country continues to be its unsuccessful attempt at Reconciliation with Indigenous people. The reality and shame of 2026 Australia is that the socio-economic, health, education and legal circumstances of Indigenous Territorians are shockingly low and deteriorating by the year. “Reconciliation” is further away now than it was 30 years ago.

Indigenous imprisonment levels are unbelievable; truly unbelievable, and rising! NT’s imprisonment levels are the second highest on the planet, with 90 per cent of adult prisoners being Indigenous. The juvenile imprisonment levels and conditions are similarly gross with 100 per cent of Territory children imprisoned being Indigenous. NT’s Indigenous health and education circumstances are similarly shameful, with most indicia deteriorating by the year.

One of Australia’s greatest contemporary shames, although unbeknownst to most Australians, is the NT plague that is Rheumatic Heart Disease, a killer disease but also totally preventable, its cause being poverty, overcrowding and poor living conditions. Again, 90 per cent plus of those afflicted are Indigenous, with the NT levels again higher than anywhere else on the planet. Social dysfunction, alienation and breakdown within Indigenous communities and urban centres has been growing at an alarming rate and both political parties’ method of dealing with the high levels of crime; namely “jail”, has failed and is now unsustainable due to gross overcrowding within jails. All of this, in combination with the recent National Referendum result, the growing levels of racism as reported in countless inquiries, reports and coronial inquests, reveal a deteriorating and volatile situation as regards ‘Race Relations’ in the Northern Territory. This is the context in which the decisions made, the things said and the actions taken by ‘The Players’ in this Morality Play took place.

3. The Two Main Players: Connolly and Mostyn

David Connolly – ‘The Man in the Big Hat’

His nomination was given to the Prime Minister in confidence by Finocchiaro in June of 2025, but it wasn’t until the 11^th of December 2025 that his identity was made public when the PM, albeit reluctantly, (“it was not a decision I would have made”), issued his 3 year Commission, with Governor-General Mostyn signing the relevant Instrument on that date. To complete the appointment, the Governor-General then had to oversee his formal Swearing In and Affirmation in the NT Parliament on February 27, 2026. That done, Connolly would become the 24^th Administrator of the NT.

It wasn’t long before Connolly’s reactionary opinions and attitudes, plus his revealed character, became well known to the community, having been laid out in his public speeches and numerous social media utterances which he had chosen to show to the world. His character is perhaps no better revealed than from his own post which said this:

“I’ve been called: ‘bigoted’, ‘racist’, ‘homophobic’, ‘transphobic’, ‘elitist’, ‘prejudiced’, ‘a destroyer of the environment’, ‘a torturer of animals’, ‘discriminatory’, ‘biased’, ‘intolerant’, ‘chauvinistic’, ‘small-minded’ … none of that worries me”.

His other social media posts revealed racism, homophobia, sexism and misogyny. You get the type of good old Aussie racist he is with this post: “White Privilege – the ability to suffer life’s universal indignities without blaming another ethnic group”. And, his response to an X user who posted this charming eugenic question: “who do we call Indigenous? 100% 50% 25% surely no lower?”. The new NT Administrator replied thus: “Indigenous – originating or occurring naturally in a particular place. On this definition I am Indigenous to Australia”.

Oh “The Man in the Big Hat” is a laugh a minute. And also an ignorant racist to boot. Many of his posts scorned Indigenous culture and people (namely cultural fire management practices and welcome to country ceremonies), as well as mocking domestic violence, including date rape victims!

Here is David Connolly, ‘The Man in the Big Hat’, as revealed by another one of his shared posts:

More of David Connolly’s social media posts (Source: ABC)

He blames the crime rate on weak Judges who are soft on law and order and just to make really clear what his position is concerning the “crime issue”, he posted this:

“Hang on a minute – let’s speak honestly about this for once, the main group of people perpetrating these criminal actions have been in Australia for 60,000 years. The English didn’t send them here. They are the product of failed policy and a soft on crime attitude.”

Sam Mostyn – The Governor-General of Australia

Unlike Connolly, Mostyn largely fulfils the “conventional” requirements for holding her Office. She was nominated by Labor Prime Minister Albanese and sworn in as Governor General on 1 July 2024. Only the second woman to ever become Governor-General and, quoting the Governor General’s website biography; “it followed on from her highly successful and distinguished career in business, holding many governance roles across diverse sectors”. And further, and of direct relevance in the Morality Play; “she had been appointed Companion of Order of Australia for eminent service in social justice, gender equality, and reconciliation, which included being a former member of the Reconciliation Board”. Not totally politically neutral, and again of relevance in the Morality Play, is that during her stellar career she had previously been a member of the “political class” as an advisor to several Federal Labor Government Ministers. Also of relevance is her appointment created controversy due to the Labor government having to pass Federal Legislation to allow for her being awarded a whopping 43 per cent increase in the previous salary, from $495,000 to $709,017, that being a higher salary than the PM himself. The NT Administrator’s comparatively modest salary is $376,640.

5. The Drama

Once it was made public in December 2025 that Connolly was the nominee, and following the exposure of his social media posts, the proposal was immediately decried by Indigenous organisations and much of the general Australian community. APONT (The Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT, representing NT Land Councils, Indigenous Health Oganisations, NAAJA, Indigenous Business Network and Aboriginal Housing) immediately issued a statement describing his nomination as “appalling” and calling for its rescindment.

They called out his previous comments as “straight-up racist”, “hurtful” and made it clear he would be an Administrator who will not be made welcome on Aboriginal land. Matthew Ryan, the Director of the Northern Land Council said he was appalled by his racist posts. He went on: “No one should be appointed if racist remarks are made, targeted at the Indigenous people across the Territory or anyone for that matter, across Australia”. And further; “I’m calling for the Federal Minister and the Commonwealth to step in here, or else we’ve got another divided country”.

He said the Federal Government and the Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn should rescind their approval of Mr Connolly’s appointment: “I can tell you now I’m not going to talk to him if he gets appointed!” Further, Geoffrey Watson SC, Director of The Centre for Public Integrity called on the NT Government to rethink the nomination whilst Federal Green Senator Penny Allman-Payne, presented an 1800 signature petition to the Senate calling for the immediate rescission of his appointment. NT MLA Justine Davis co-authored a letter sent to the PM on behalf of Territorians calling for the proposed appointment to be rescinded.

The opposition mounted, but Finocchiaro held strong. Connolly himself had ample opportunity to explain, extenuate and perhaps apologise as regards his previous statements and posts, but not a whiff of it.

The opposition continued to increase and on the week of his swearing-in an open letter to the PM from a broad coalition of 23 community leaders, including his own Federal NT Indigenous Representatives (and reported publicly by the media), called on him to “urgently rescind the appointment”. The authors also included such revolutionary bodies as the Country Women’s Association of the NT and the Nightcliff Uniting Church congregation! Community cohesion and social harmony were well and truly gone. The PM’s response to this was to say that Connolly’s nomination: “was not a decision I would have made”, but he decided not to use the Commonwealth’s legal authority to rescind it.

The cultural rift continued to widen, and to reiterate their hurt and distress, APONT this time, wrote directly to the Governor-General asking her not to go through with the appointment. The Governor-General’s office replied in writing informing them that the Governor-General, “had a long record of supporting First Nations communities” (writer’s emphasis) and had been a member of the Reconciliation Board.

Further, she considered that “care, kindness and respect” were important principles when engaging in serious issues and that she had no power to not appoint him, or “along the lines you suggest”. Then, overnight, and thereby into the day before his swearing-in, Connolly released a belated statement apologising for his social media comments. It was couched in the usual predictable terms: “I deeply regret them…”; “I never intended to cause offence…”; I am genuinely sorry…”. And, for good measure, he told the world; “these posts are no reflection of my personal core values” (writer’s emphasis).

Following that overnight release, on Thursday 26 February 2026, the day before the swearing-in, Mostyn appeared on local ABC radio to be interviewed by ABC journalist Jess Ong about the controversy. By so doing, Mostyn had chosen to enter the political arena, purportedly explaining the role of the Governor General in this situation, but in truth, explaining why she was still willing to oversee the completion of his appointment despite the strong opposition and cultural rift caused by it.

Her performance on radio was consummate. But it was, a performance. And it was a politician talking. Part of her explanation for still being willing to go ahead with his appointment included that she was “pleased” to read his last minute apology and, in fact, had had “a good chat” with Connolly and her opinion on his apology was that “it was a very good and full apology”, including that his posts did not reflect his personal core values.

Mostyn’s words just kept coming and the more they came the more she sounded like yet another member of the ‘political class’. She continued to explain why she would be overseeing and completing his appointment, and if she explained it once, she explained it a zillion times; “I have no decision making role”; “I can’t reject the advice of Federal Cabinet”; “I must show up”; “I have no power”; “I must give effect to it”; “The job I must do”. And she threw in, for good measure; “I have always shown respect for First Nations People”. (again, writer’s emphasis). Typical of 2026 ABC journalists, Jess Ong failed to ask the essential question, bearing in mind the division created and, in particular, the hurt felt by Indigenous people; namely; “had Mostyn given any consideration, as a matter of principle, to resigning from her position rather than go through with it?”

Later that day, by arrangement made before Mostyn came to Darwin, she met with the APONT leadership in Darwin. Again, as one, they conveyed to her that Connolly in their view, was a racist and his appointment would further insult and hurt the Territory Indigenous Community already suffering greatly as a consequence of the Referendum result.

They again asked her not to go through with it. Matthew Ryan, the director of the NLC, told the Governor-General and the meeting, having learned of her intention to go ahead with the appointment, that he had already placed on the record his position and it was still the same; namely, Connolly was a racist, he wouldn’t talk to the man and he wouldn’t be made welcome on Aboriginal land. That said he got up and left the meeting. Mostyn went on to explain, in terms similar to her radio performance, that she had to go ahead with it.

The Affirmation of David Connolly as Administrator, conducted and overseen by Australia’s Governor-General, went ahead on the morning of 27 February 2026 in the NT Parliament. Between 100-200 people, having been refused permission to demonstrate directly outside the NT Parliament by the NT Speaker Robyn Lambley MLA, demonstrated in an area designated for them, being 300 metres away from Parliament House. One of them, a Larrakia man, was arrested for leaving the area and walking towards the NT Parliament. He was put in the back of a police caged vehicle and driven to the Palmerston Watch House where he was charged with trespass and resist arrest; then granted bail.

6. The Doctor

“In the end, when it’s over, all that matters is what you’ve done.” – Alexander the Great

This tawdry tale illustrates how, in 2026, we have deteriorated into a weak, unprincipled and racist country. We can, and will blame our leaders, exposed in this narrative, but in the end they are our representatives and without much dissent by us they reflect contemporary Australians.

Chief Minister Finocchiaro and new NT Administrator Connolly

Finocchiaro acted by nominating a man clearly unfit for office, a racist and one who would cause division by hurting and offending not only Indigenous Australians but many others. She did that deliberately and prevailed. She won, as did ‘The Man In The Big Hat’, her nominee, David Connolly. The man who the night before his appointment, issued his apology statement including a total lie: “these posts do not reflect my core values”. A nonsense President Trump would have been proud of. Indigenous Australians were ignored, offended and put in their place. They’re well and truly used to that. Their non-Indigenous supporters also saw that their democratically elected representatives chose to not act with principle and thereby not in their interests.

Prime Minister Albanese

Albanese emerged as he clearly is: unprincipled and weak. Rather than stand up on principle for Indigenous and right-minded Australians he allowed the appointment. He didn’t have to but did. So typical. In the political climate of right-wing swing, he decided to avoid a conflict with the CLP government for fear of possibly losing votes in the future. It revealed, as usual, the moral cowardice of the Australian Labor Party, as seen so many times. The “Tampa” mentality of pragmatism over principle continues.

Significantly, the day after Connolly’s appointment, Israel and the USA commenced their unlawful bombing of Iran. The same Prime Minister Albanese, with Penny Wong and Richard Marles, apparently representing we Australians, were the first nation to announce Australia’s support for the unlawful and unnecessary bombing. As with Israel’s genocide on Palestinians our representatives have well and truly situated themselves, and so us, on the wrong side of history.

Sam Mostyn

“I’ve always shown respect for First Nations people”. Mostyn’s willingness to go through with this appointment will be how she is remembered in Australian history. At least by Indigenous Australians. She displayed, like so many credentialed liberals, a paralysing lack of principle and allowed self-interest to prevail over principle. Typical of our age, unlike Hercules at the crossroads, she chose the easy self-interested path rather than the tougher, honourable and virtuous path.

In 2026, this country is full of Sam Mostyns: well-credentialed liberals who pursue successful careers by saying the right words, ticking the right boxes and saying even more “right words”.

Her repeating and reiteration, again and again, of how she had no choice, in a way, showed how shallow she was and is. It didn’t wash. She did have a choice. She didn’t have to go through with it. Connolly was obviously unfit for office: a racist, right wing, divisive white man. His “appointment” was a big deal and a big hurt to the Indigenous community. She was in a position to, at the very least, thwart it and she chose not to. She claimed publicly to be on side with Indigenous Australians but clearly she’s not.

How typical of our unprincipled times. Mostyn’s self-interest prevailed over principle. Appropriately, her epitaph will be the Governor-General who moved the Governor-General’s salary up 43 per cent to $709,017, and who turned her back on Indigenous Australians.

It didn’t have to be so. It wasn’t as if the occasion required the bravery and sacrifice of a Navalny. But Mostyn didn’t have any sacrifice in her. She chose to retain the position, the salary, and remain in the ‘La Di Da’. The following week she was seen welcoming the King and Queen of Denmark, including, of course an Indigenous smoking ceremony. No doubt the nation will hear her espousing the heroic virtues of courage and sacrifice on ANZAC day. She didn’t have the principle and the courage to do the right thing, and in many respects, she reflects so much that is wrong with Australia today.

She may one day realise that if she had resigned on principle and withdrew from the appointment, calling out the truth and reality of who the man is, and always will be, and thereby accepting the hurt, insult and requests from Indigenous Australians, she would have set an example and gone down in Australian history as a leader who showed courageous leadership putting principle before anything else. By so doing, she would have entered the Australian and Indigenous Hall of Fame.

Jess Ong

The main purpose of the “Fourth Estate” is to inform the community and to test and challenge the Government and the powerful of the day. A major tool for journalists is asking questions: the hard questions. In Australia in 2026 barely any journalist does now ask those hard questions. Some ask questions that lead to the hard question but then they stop. This happens all the time. By failing to put to Mostyn, in these circumstances, that she also had a choice of resigning her position Jess Ong failed in her profession and failed the Australian community.

APONT and Matthew Ryan

They lose. As usual. After all, they’re Indigenous. They did everything they could. They were direct and persistent and were ignored by the Australian Prime Minister. They were also ignored and treated in a patronising way by the Australian Governor-General. What’s new? Australian leaders from all walks of life have forever been dealing with Indigenous people in that pathetic patronising way. Mathew Ryan in particular called the whole thing out in an unequivocal and honorable way. No smudging there; “He’s a racist. I wont talk to him”. That is how you deal with racists. There can be no mediation with them. APONT and Mathew Ryan lost to the Australian Governor-General, the Australian Prime Minister, the new NT Administrator and the NT Chief Minister. By so doing they sit on the right side of history. By so doing, it is they who have won.

John Lawrence is a legal practitioner whose career began in the Territory in 1987 as a Crown Prosecutor, five years later becoming the Solicitor in Charge of NAALAS, now NAAJA. He later joined the Independent Bar where he has remained for 28 years. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2010 and has featured in many high-profile cases, including several Royal Commissions of Inquiry. He has served as President of the NT Bar Association as well as the Criminal Lawyers Association NT (CLANT) and as a Director of the Law Council of Australia.

John has written numerous articles for various national publications over the years, mostly on justice issues. He has been a passionate advocate for human rights, the rule of law and the rights of all Territorians, having spent a large part of his career representing Indigenous people and organisations in their struggle against disadvantage and injustice.

His regular column for the NT Independent is called Se Acabo.