Townsville mayor Troy Thompson suspended on full pay as Minister Ann Leahy gives update

Politicians have come out swinging against the LNP, saying Townsville’s ousted mayor being suspended on 12 months on full pay is “a slap on the wrist” and “doesn’t pass the pub test”. LATEST >>

Local Government Minister Ann Leahy has revealed disgraced mayor Troy Thompson wrote to her and requested he be suspended for 12 months on full pay, saying the state government had been “hamstrung” in how it could act.

“I’ve made it very clear that they (the council) need to get back to work, and today is the circuit breaker that enables them to get back to work for the ratepayers of Townsville,” Ms Leahy said, speaking to the media at Walker St on Friday.

Townsville’s ratepayers will be burdened by Mr Thompson’s salary of about $250,000 a year.

He has been stripped of any titles or privileges, but Ms Leahy would not give any detail into the reasoning behind Mr Thompson’s request.

Nor would Ms Leahy would not divulge if the government would look at removing Mr Thompson from his position permanently within the next 12 months, as she consider that with the Crime and Corruption Commission investigation was being held against him.

“I’m not going to pre-empt the outcome of any investigations,” Ms Leahy said.

Local Government Minister Ann Leahy. Photo: Liam Kidston.

“Yes, Troy Thompson wrote to me on Wednesday and requested that he be suspended, that’s probably a matter that you need to ask him.

“Look, that request was quite simple, that he made a request to be suspended, which is something that the premier has called for, that he stand aside, and that is something that he has done, and we thank him for doing that.

“I made a phone call to him late yesterday afternoon as a matter of courtesy and ... he seemed to be in quite good spirits.”

When the Bulletin phoned Mr Thompson on Friday, his phone was answered by his partner Michelle Blythe, who would not confirm if he had requested the 12 months suspension with full pay, and declined to comment on what he intended to do next.

There was no mention of Mr Thompson requesting the suspension himself via a statement posted to Facebook Friday morning, instead telling supporters he was “disappointed” in Ms Leahy’s decision to suspend him.

“As disappointed as I am, this has set a precedent for councillors across Queensland, that the state government may suspend a democratically elected member without a proper judicial process taking place,” he said.

Mr Thompson will be allowed at Walker Street’s council offices but only with the same access as a member of the public, and is permitted to attend events in the community, but not in any mayoral capacity.

Via the statement, Mr Thompson said he would “continue to be a community contributor” despite being stripped of his mayoral title.

After meeting with high-level Townsville City Council staff and councillors, Ms Leahy took questions from the local media, during which she said the government was limited in how it could act after the former Labor Government’s eleventh hour show cause notice before the election last month.

She would not give detail into how the new LNP government was limited by the show cause notice, and refused to reflect on how she would have done things differently.

Mayor Troy Thompson at the Townsville City Council general meeting. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Ms Leahy said she felt a “sense of relief” from the remaining 10 councillors about the decision, and believed this was reflected by the community as well.

Ms Leahy warned that she expected the council to “get back to work” and focus on their responsibilities but said the state appointed adviser would remain in his six-month term.

It would be up to the council to determine who would serve in an acting mayoral capacity, but said the standard process was for the deputy mayor, Paul Jacob, to step forward in an acting mayoral capacity.

“It’s really a matter for council to consider that and to work their way through that process,” she said.

‘Doesn’t pass the pub test’

Hinchinbrook state MP Nick Dametto believes Troy Thompson being suspended for 12 months does not “pass the pub test”, as the community expresses concerns about the state government’s decision.

Townsville’s political leaders have largely remained silent in the aftermath of Ms Leahy’s press conference in Walker St, where the three LNP MPs of Thuringowa, Mundingburra and Townsville were conspicuously absent.

Nick Dametto says paying Troy Thompson for 12 months while suspended doesn’t pass the pub test. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

But Mr Dametto said although the direction taken to suspend Mr Thompson was a positive one, the next course of action was to ensure the Crime and Corruption Commission investigation against Mr Thompson was completed properly and as soon as possible.

“Now I don’t know the legalities right now of standing the mayor down while an investigation is pending without pay,” Mr Dametto said.

“But I definitely know ratepayers would be asking the question right now, should they be paying for a service that the mayor isn’t able to perform over the next 12 months?

“I know that it probably doesn’t pass the pub test.

“There’s a lot of people out there that would say that if the were suspended from their job, they wouldn’t be getting paid.

“You’d really hate for the CCC to take a full 12 months to come out with a decision.”

‘Weak and inappropriate’

The Opposition slammed the government’s decision to suspend Mr Thompson on full pay as “weak and inappropriate”.

Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick said the government had given Mr Thompson a “fully funded, all expenses paid” 12-month holiday on the ratepayer dime.

“Troy Thompson is laughing all the way to the bank today,” he said.

“This isn’t just embarrassing for David Crisafulli and the LNP, it’s embarrassing for Townsville and the people of Townsville deserve better than this.”

Mr Dick called the move a “slap on the wrist”.

But asked what the alternative solution was, Mr Dick sidestepped the question.

“Well, they’re in government, they’ve got all of the information,” he said.

“Troy Thompson’s got his feet up, being paid his salary by the ratepayers for a year without having to do one day of work and we think that’s inappropriate.”

Originally published as Townsville mayor Troy Thompson suspended on full pay as Minister Ann Leahy gives update