Ipswich councillor Paul Tully weighs in on Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson saga, calls for overhaul of elections

Queensland’s longest-serving councillor has called for a total overhaul of local government elections to “avoid” the debacle Townsville is in with a mayor who cannot work with his council.

Mayor Troy Thompson at this week’s Townsville City Council general meeting. Picture: Shae Beplate.

• Opinion: Mayor debacle exposes gaping hole in Qld’s election laws

Queensland’s longest-serving councillor has called for a total overhaul of local government elections to “avoid” the debacle Townsville is in with a mayor who cannot work with his councillors.

City of Ipswich Councillor Paul Tully says he has been “following Townsville council with great interest” as embattled Mayor Troy Thompson continues to cause friction within chambers.

Mr Thompson is the subject of a CCC probe after misleading voters on his military, business and university qualifications as well as a number of campaign donations.

His councillors unanimously maintain a vote of no confidence in him, and caused further unrest after accusing three councillors of taking bribes from a CEO candidate.

“It’s one of the most bizarre situations I’ve seen where the mayor clearly doesn’t have the support of the council and the government is struggling under the current legislation to do anything effective to solve it,” Mr Tully told the Townsville Bulletin.

Premier Steven Miles and Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon have repeatedly said they cannot step in until the CCC investigation was complete, but recently appointed an adviser to monitor the fractured council.

Ipswich City councillor Paul Tully, who has successfully contested 14 elections.

Mr Tully, a councillor of 35 years, said he had been pushing “for years” for Queensland to follow some councils in New South Wales where mayors are chosen by councillors.

“Like prime ministers and premiers, I believe mayors should have to have the support of the majority of councillors to be voted in,” Mr Tully said.

“This would have avoided the situation in Townsville completely … if mayors in Queensland were elected by the councillors at the start of each term.”

He likened it to the current laws around Queensland deputy mayors, who are elected by councillors just as Cr Paul Jacob was in Townsville at the first general council meeting, who could be replaced at any time by the council with 14 days’ notice.

“It would mean that the mayor would need the support of a majority of councillors at all times. A recalcitrant mayor could be removed without the need for state intervention,” Mr Tully said.

“This is the system which works effectively in many NSW councils.”

Mr Tully’s comments come after Opposition Leader David Crisafulli this week said further scrutiny of the Local Government Act was needed as the Townsville mayor’s “untenable” position dragged on.

“For the sake of the city and the order of the council my view is the mayor shouldn’t be in that position,” Mr Crisafulli said in Townsville.

“No matter what that piece of legislation is, you should always be open minded, so if that has exposed things that need to be improved in the local government act, well then, that should be looked at.”

Mr Tully said Mr Thompson “would have been removed months ago” if the legislation was there to protect cities.

“It is true that any sort of fringe, political lunatic is free to stand without prior scrutiny?”

Originally published as Ipswich councillor Paul Tully weighs in on Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson saga, calls for overhaul of elections