Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling arrested over alleged assault

Updated July 30, 2026 — 10:44am,first published 10:19amFederal Labor MP Luke Gosling has been arrested over the alleged assault of Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly at a community festival in Darwin earlier this month.Northern Territory Police said the federal member for Solomon, 54, was arrested on Wednesday morning over an incident allegedly involving the administrator at a public event on July 18.Solomon MP Luke Gosling.Alex EllinghausenPolice said the investigation began last week and Gosling remained in custody on Wednesday morning.The alleged incident was previously reported to have occurred during the NT Thailand Grand Festival in Darwin, where both men took part in official proceedings. Gosling posted photos from the event on his social media that day.Gosling, who has held the Darwin-based seat since 2016, has previously rejected the allegations, describing them as “ridiculous” and saying he had “no dealings” with Connolly beyond congratulating him on his appointment as Administrator.After the allegations emerged, a spokesman for Connolly said that “an incident occurred during His Honour the Administrator’s official attendance at a community event”, but declined further comment while police investigated.The administrator is the King’s representative in the Northern Territory, performing a role equivalent to a state governor.Under the Northern Territory Criminal Code, assaulting the administrator while carrying out official duties carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. Under section 44 of the Constitution, a federal MP may be disqualified if convicted and under sentence, or subject to be sentenced, for an offence punishable by at least one year’s imprisonment.Connolly’s appointment last year was marked by the emergence of controversial comments he’d previously posted on social media about women’s sport, the prime minister and race. This prompted condemnation from Territory Labor figures, including Gosling, who described the comments at the time as “reprehensible and offensive”.Gosling was appointed as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans’ Affairs and Northern Australia following last year’s election win. He served for 13 years in the Australian Defence Force’s parachute infantry, commandos and defence cooperation programs.More to comeCut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.From our partners