00:02Walking in to finally face questions.
00:05Good to meet you. Good to see you. Thanks for coming in.
00:07The NT's new administrator with a new perspective.
00:12This world that I've come into as administrator opens me up to different stories
00:16and I was able to sit with people.
00:18I've actually sat with people and heard some of their stories.
00:21Now what my tweets do and what I've learned about this
00:25is that my tweets trigger those memories for those people
00:28and for that I'm very sorry.
00:30The past tweets about indigenous people, women and domestic violence
00:34posted while president of the NT Cattlemen's Association.
00:38All of those were in response to things that were going on in the pastoral world at the time.
00:43Does that make it right though?
00:43No, it doesn't make it right, particularly when you've come into a position like now.
00:47David Connolly was criticised for taking weeks to issue an apology
00:51which came late on Wednesday night, less than 48 hours before the swearing in.
00:56Not enough to placate hundreds of protesters and some prominent indigenous leaders.
01:03It's appalling the way they treat our people, First Nation people also.
01:08It's sickened me.
01:09My door is open. I said that at the end of my speech.
01:11We'll invite those people to talk to me.
01:14It is now a matter for them whether they wish to speak to me or not.
01:17Apologetic, but at the same time, adamant that he has strong support.
01:22I'm getting text messages and phone calls and letters from people saying,
01:27you hang in there Mr Connolly because what you're doing is right.
01:30Look, I don't want to cause a right or a wrong in this.
01:32What I want to show you is that I've learnt from it, that my past is my past
01:36and I can't change that but I've owned it.
01:38Eager to get on with the job and move on.
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