In the interests of social inclusion and genuine acceptance of Aboriginal people, the Chief Minister must not support the appointment of Mr David Connolly as the Administrator of the Northern Territory. We further call on the Governor-General to intervene and halt this appointment.

After violently securing the southern states for their own use, it was not until the 1940s that white settlers made concerted efforts to establish control over the Northern Territory. History clearly demonstrates that white society neither understood nor accepted Aboriginal culture. This failure continues to have devastating consequences today, reflected in one of the highest incarceration rates in the world.

In the Northern Territory, policies have been fully enforced that have resulted in Aboriginal children being detained in adult prisons. These practices have drawn serious concern from the United Nations regarding ongoing human rights violations in the Territory.

Mr Connolly is a product of this historical pattern of racism and the persistent exclusion of Aboriginal people from genuine participation in society. While he may be regarded as a strong advocate for the cattle industry, there is no evidence to suggest he is a strong advocate for Aboriginal people.

When white society seized the Northern Territory for its own benefit, Aboriginal people were pushed to the margins and reduced to a source of labour for the cattle industry, often working for rations rather than wages. Without the forced and exploited labour of Aboriginal people, the cattle industry—and those who benefited from it—would not be where it is today.

Mr Connolly represents the values and interests of a racially dominant white society. For these reasons, his appointment as Northern Territory Administrator must be withdrawn.

Lenny Clarke

Shara Clarke Aboriginal Cultural and Education Centre