‘I’ve been called “bigoted”, “racist”, “homophobic” ... none of that worries me’: outspoken pastoralist causes a stir as NT’s new administrator

David Connolly with Northern Territory chief minister Lia Finocchiaro … ‘I fully understand and appreciate the expectations of the community and my role as administrator.’ Photograph: Northern Territory government

In his own words, the man chosen to become the next administrator of Australia’s Northern Territory is not the sort to worry about causing offence.

“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’, ‘old’, ‘grumpy’ and ‘useless’,” David Connolly told the Northern Territory Cattleman’s Association conference in 2023.