NT police minister Brent Potter under fire for alleged racist social media posts

A major Jewish group has slammed NT Police Minister Brent Potter over the now-deleted Facebook posts.

NT Police Minister Brent Potter. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Northern Territory Police Minister Brent Potter is under fire for alleged racist social media posts, with a major Jewish group slamming the minister over now-­deleted Facebook posts quoting Nazi general Erwin Rommel and reportedly sharing a link to an online article headed: “It’s time to ­arrest ultra-Orthodox Jews who delay flights over seating.”

Historical posts on Facebook shared by Mr Potter showing a meme praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and a link to a video about how to “destroy” the Black Lives Matter movement were revealed just over a week after he had stated that racism “was not acceptable” within any organisation.

It also comes in the week after former NT police officer Zachary Rolfe took the stand at the coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker to claim that racist language was “normalised in the NT Police Force”.

Now deleted social media post from NT Police Minister Brent Potter.

Mr Rolfe said the NT Police Force’s most elite unit – the Territory Response Group – created a highly offensive in-house “coon of the year” award for members who “exhibited the most coon-like ­behaviour”.

The allegations rocked the upper ranks of NT police, with commissioner Michael Murphy ordering an immediate investi­gation, and Mr Potter declaring racist comments had no place in any government organisation or department.

Mr Potter’s posts, obtained by the NT Independent, are alleged to have been posted over a six-year period and could be seen up until his social media accounts were deactivated on the day he was preselected for Territory Labor in 2022 in the seat of Fannie Bay.

On Wednesday, Mr Potter defended the posts, saying he was in his 20s when they were posted.

“Like most people, in my past I have posted or shared controversial content on Facebook but that does not mean I ever agreed with the views expressed in them,” he said. “These reposts … were between eight and 10 years ago when I was in my 20s, and do not define my views on any subject.

“As a Defence veteran who served for 15 years, I used social media as a way to connect with others who have been through similar experiences and that included sharing military-themed cynical and satirical humour that would not be understood by those who haven’t served.”

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry slammed Mr Potter for his remarks, claiming expressed admiration for one of Hitler’s generals was “appalling conduct” by a public official.

“As the minister rightly points out, social media is a wonderful way to connect. It is also an extremely powerful way to vilify people, mock those that look different to us, and arouse support for Nazi Germany,” executive council co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said.

The post has a photograph of Nazi general Erwin Rommel with the quote: “In the absence of orders, go find something and kill it”.

Another post that reportedly read “Time to arrest ultra-orthodox Jews who delay flights” also drew criticism from the council.

“His denigration of Orthodox Jews and admiration for one of Hitler’s generals is appalling conduct by a public official and sets a terrible example. Rather than vilifying a group of people he has probably never met, he should educate himself and promote understanding and tolerance of others. If (he) wishes to meet some Orthodox Jews and see how wonderful they are and what fine travel companions they make, I’d be happy to facilitate it,” Mr Ryvchin said.

NT independent MLA Mark Turner said there was “rank hypocrisy” by NT government leadership when it came to criticising junior police officers.

“We’ve seen junior police officers vilified by senior public servants and politicians, showing yet again that it’s one rule for us and another for them,” Mr Turner said.

“The rank hypocrisy of the current leadership of Territory Labor’s virtue-signalling has yet again been laid out for everyone to see. Considering they sacked decorated and experienced former police officers for trying to blow the whistle, I don’t know how they can continue to hope the public will stand for this behaviour.”