A newly appointed territory administrator whose now-deleted social media posts have raised questions over his fitness for the role says he never intended to cause offence.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has defended her nomination of former NT Cattlemen's Association president David Connolly as the next administrator after the social media posts surfaced.
The former posts include attacks on what he calls Indigenous privilege, questionable comments about bikini-clad sportswomen and a repost describing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as an "arsehole".
The now-deleted posts on X, formerly Twitter, have sparked calls for Mr Connolly's appointment to be put on hold and reviewed.
In a statement on Monday Mr Connolly said he never intended to cause offence.
"I fully understand and appreciate the expectations of the community and my role as administrator.
"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."
Mr Connolly said he intended to be "a fierce advocate for all Territorians".
He is due to be sworn in on February 2 as the territory's 24th administrator, the equivalent of a state governor.
NT Opposition Leader Selina Uibo has called on Ms Finocchiaro and her Country Liberal Party government to put the appointment on hold so it can be reviewed.
Mr Connolly was undoubtedly a strong advocate for the cattle industry but the role of administrator was to represent all Territorians with integrity, respect and political neutrality, Ms Uibo said.
"Public comments attributed to Mr Connolly have raised serious questions about whether he can meet those standards and carry out the role in a way that unites the community," she said in a statement.
In one former post by Mr Connolly he 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," he said in the post.
In another post referring to Welcome To Country ceremonies he wrote, "Welcome to my house, that'll be $3000 thanks".
He also claimed policies aimed at empowering First Nations people were to the detriment of non-Indigenous people.
Mr Connolly shared in another post a picture of bikini-clad Australian women's beach volleyball team members embracing during the Paris Olympics in 2024.
"Hey troops, off to the beach volleyball today," he wrote.
"Don't know why but I am really looking forward to it."
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".
Ms Finocchiaro said Mr Connolly's nomination had been approved by the NT and federal governments and she had been unaware of the social media posts.
Ms Uibo said the chief minister must reconsider her decision as it raised serious concerns about the due diligence undertaken before it was made.
"The chief minister is certainly aware now of these public comments and must act."
Ms Uibo had written to Governor-General Sam Mostyn outlining her concerns and asking that further advice be sought.
Centre for Public Integrity director Geoffrey Watson has also called on Ms Finocchiaro to rethink Mr Connolly's nomination.
"Ideally, an administrator is going to be politically neutral and these social media posts, they seem to indicate that this candidate is not," Mr Watson told the ABC.
