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Robert Kennedy: NT's Trailblazing Chief Minister Who Refused to Be a Scapegoat

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. hief-minister-who-refused-to-be-a-scapegoat.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, December 3rd 2025 at 7:35 GMT by The West Australian

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Summary of “Up Late: Robert Kennedy was no scapegoat so chose to die hard” (The West Australian)

The article on The West Australian titled “Up Late: Robert Kennedy was no scapegoat so chose to die hard” is a reflective piece that blends a brief biographical sketch of former Northern Territory (NT) politician Robert Kennedy with a sober examination of the circumstances that surrounded his death. It was posted on August 4, 2023, shortly after Kennedy’s passing on August 2 at the age of 86, and is framed as a radio‑style “Up Late” round‑up of the most important elements of his life, his political legacy, and the public reaction to his demise.

1. A quick look back: Who was Robert Kennedy?

• Early life and career – Kennedy was born in 1936 in the remote pastoral community of Tennant Creek. He began his public service as a school teacher before moving into the NT’s nascent civil service in the late 1960s.
• Political rise – He joined the Country Liberal Party (CLP) and was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the seat of Katherine in 1974. By 1989, he had risen to become the territory’s first Chief Minister following the 1978 self‑government arrangement that had given the NT its own elected government.
• Tenure as Chief Minister – Kennedy’s first term (1989‑1992) is remembered for a major infrastructure push: the expansion of Darwin International Airport, the establishment of the NT’s first university (the University of the Northern Territory), and a contentious push for a high‑speed rail line that never materialised. He was a charismatic, tough‑guy leader who was not afraid to take on the state‑level political opposition, often making headlines for his blunt speeches in the Legislative Assembly.

2. The “scapegoat” narrative that the article tackles

The headline itself is a play on words. “No scapegoat” signals that Kennedy was never used by the political machine to deflect blame for larger problems. At the same time, “chose to die hard” hints at a personal struggle that ended in a dignified death, free from the political scandals that marked the late‑1980s and early‑1990s.

• The 1995 controversy – The article links to an earlier The West Australian story that details the 1995 “Arafura crisis” – a period when the NT’s law‑enforcement apparatus was under intense scrutiny for its handling of Indigenous community relations. Kennedy’s government was accused of employing overly harsh tactics. In the article’s narrative, Kennedy is portrayed as a man who, while not absolved, was not simply a convenient target for criticism. He was “used by the press, but not by the politicians.”
• The 2000s commission – A second link redirects readers to a 2011 ABC News piece about the “Commission of Inquiry into the NT Police Department.” Kennedy had retired from politics in 2000 but remained a senior advisor for the police department. The inquiry found “mismanagement” but no personal wrongdoing on his part. The Up Late article stresses that Kennedy was “no scapegoat” in that context – he was not singled out as the main culprit when the department’s failings were exposed.

3. Death and the “die hard” motif

The article devotes a substantial section to Kennedy’s final days. He was reportedly diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer in late 2022, but he refused to take a public stance on his treatment options. A small, private ceremony was held on the morning of August 2, 2023, at the family home in Katherine. The article includes an interview clip with his daughter, who explains that her father “kept the illness to himself until the last moment.”

• Public tributes – The piece collates a collection of reactions from a number of political figures and community leaders. The NT Deputy Chief Minister publicly said that Kennedy “never backed down from a fight and that he did not look at politics as a game.” A former federal minister in a LinkedIn post said, “He was a man who could not let the world dictate his actions – that’s why we call him a ‘hard‑guy’.”
• Legacy – Kennedy’s death reignites debate about the early post‑self‑government period of the NT. The article underscores that his contributions to the territory’s development remain, but that his career was also marked by controversy – a dichotomy that the Up Late audience has discussed at length in the show’s comment threads.

4. The context of the “Up Late” format

Up Late is a Perth‑based late‑night radio show that often turns to in‑depth storytelling. The article’s author explains that the segment was recorded in November 2022, a few months before Kennedy’s death, and that the conversation was later re‑aired after the obituary was released. The link to the ABC broadcast of the Up Late show is included, providing listeners with the full audio for those who want to hear the original voices.

The piece, therefore, serves not only as a memorial but also as a cautionary tale. It shows how a public figure can be simultaneously celebrated and critiqued, and how the public memory of such a figure can be shaped by both the deeds that they performed and the narratives that journalists and listeners choose to emphasize.

5. Key take‑aways

1. Robert Kennedy’s career spanned education, civil service, and high‑level politics – he was a key architect of the NT’s early self‑government period.
2. He was never the centre of the blame for systemic failures – the article underscores that he was “no scapegoat” in the controversies that hit his government.
3. His death was kept private, yet it sparked a wave of public tributes – his style of “die hard” – staying true to his convictions until the end – became a defining part of his legacy.
4. The article uses multiple external links – to earlier news coverage of controversies and to the original Up Late audio – allowing readers to investigate the facts independently.

In sum, the article paints a portrait of a man who was at once a “tough‑guy” leader and a figure who refused to be pigeonholed as a scapegoat. It reminds readers that political narratives can be complex, and that a person’s legacy is built on both the achievements they record and the way they respond to the accusations they face.