Townsville Mayor not about to give ground in his bid to retain office
Townsville’s rogue mayor, accused of misleading voters about his army service while campaigning in Australia’s biggest military city, has challenged a plan to suspend him.
Troy Thompson says he has responded to the Queensland government after it took the first step toward removing the embattled Townsville mayor three weeks ago.
Councillor Thompson was sent a show cause notice detailing the government’s plan to suspend him for 12 months after ongoing controversy at the north Queensland council.
He responded by the Monday night deadline, saying he had provided a 23-page defence including “35 documents of evidence” and a nine-page timeline of events.
“This submission is a very small part of what may be tendered to court at a future date,” Cr Thompson said in a statement.
“The items the minister has identified in the show cause document, I refute and will be defended as required.”
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The state government issued the show cause notice in one of its final acts before going into caretaker mode ahead of Saturday’s election.
Cr Thompson is being investigated by the state’s corruption watchdog over matters including claims made during his 2024 mayoral campaign that he served five years in the army.
He later conceded on Nine Network’s A Current Affair that he had misled voters about his military record, blaming “100-plus” concussions.
It sparked a unanimous no confidence council vote in Townsville, the country’s biggest garrison city boasting more than 15,000 Australian Defence Force personnel.
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Cr Thompson has since resisted calls to stand down amid ongoing issues with colleagues.
The Townsville mayor said the Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon’s show cause notice set a “dangerous precedence” and he would be seeking a High Court injunction if suspended.
“Without proper judicial process, which the CCC (Corruption and Crime Commission) are completing, it could be ‘alleged’ this is only politically motivated during an election caretaker period,” Cr Thompson said in his statement.
“As the democratically elected mayor of Townsville, I will not be stepping down, and I have not been asked to do so.
“Should I be suspended by the minister, I will respect her decision at this time, but I will challenge this and look to a High Court injunction if required.”
Premier Steven Miles had indicated the incumbent government could negotiate a deal with the opposition to remove Cr Thompson while in caretaker mode or choose to wait until after Saturday’s election.
“I’ve been pretty strong on this issue from day one, I’ve said him being in that role is bad for Townsville and what’s bad for Townsville is bad for Queensland,” the premier said on Monday.
