A newly appointed territory administrator should be sacked after his "problematic views on race" were displayed in social media posts, a peak Aboriginal body says.
David Connolly, the former NT Cattlemen's Association president, is due to be sworn in on February 2 as the territory's administrator, the equivalent of a state governor.
But his questionable social media posts on X, now deleted, recently emerged in the media, sparking calls for his appointment to be quashed or put on hold and reviewed.
The posts included attacks on what he called Indigenous privilege, an apparent mocking of Welcome to Country ceremonies and a re-post describing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as an "arsehole".
The latest call for his dismissal comes from an alliance representing Indigenous land councils and peak Aboriginal justice, medical, housing and business bodies.
Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory said it "flatly rejects" Mr Connolly as administrator and urged the NT and federal governments to revoke his appointment.
The views expressed in the social media posts had no place in the office of the NT Administrator, whose role must embody respect and political neutrality, group chair Theresa Roe said .
"Mr Connolly's comments reinforce harmful narratives and demonstrate a lack of upstanding qualities required of such an appointment," she said in a statement.
The comments revealed a lack of understanding of the lived experiences of Aboriginal Territorians, a third of the NT population, and indicated a lack respect for Indigenous people, Ms Roe said.
In one post, Mr Connolly refers to Indigenous-lit bushfires on cattle stations, saying "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, he refers to Welcome to Country ceremonies, writing, "Welcome to my house, that'll be $3000 thanks".
A re-post in 2023 reads: "White privilege - the ability to suffer life's universal indignities without blaming another ethnic group".
The Aboriginal peak body wants NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro to reconsider Mr Connolly's appointment and has urged the federal government to act to ensure the NT selects a more appropriate candidate.
"To continue with this appointment, despite clear evidence of problematic views on race and history, entrenches division," Ms Roe said.
Ms Finocchiaro is standing by her Country Liberal Party government's nomination of Mr Connolly.
On Tuesday, three federal Labor politicians said Mr Connolly should apologise for his "reprehensible and offensive" social media posts.
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy and NT MPs Marion Scrymgour and Luke Gosling said the administrator should be a unifying figure and represent all Territorians.
NT Opposition Leader Selina Uibo has called on Ms Finocchiaro to put the appointment on hold so it can be reviewed.
Mr Connolly said he never intended to cause offence and would be "a fierce advocate for all Territorians".
"My former social media posts are exactly that and were done at a time when having the honour and privilege of being the administrator was not even in my wildest dreams," he said in a statement on Monday.
In February 2024, Mr Connolly reposted a tweet comparing Mr Albanese to a blue whale's backside, describing the prime minister as the "largest arsehole in the world".
