Councillor Brady Ellis blasts Mayor Troy Thompson, dismisses Labor coercion claims

Townsville’s political drama hit new heights as a furious councillor ripped into embattled mayor Troy Thompson, rubbishing claims that the Labor Party is pulling the council’s strings to oust him. WATCH

Cr Brady Ellis addressed the media on Tuesday to again call on Mayor Troy Thompson to resign. Picture: Natasha Emeck

Townsville’s political drama hit new heights as Councillor Brady Ellis ripped into Mayor Troy Thompson, rubbishing claims that the Labor Party is pulling the council’s strings to oust him.

The Division 10 Councillor has challenged Mr Thompson to resign and prove his worth in a by-election if he truly believes he still has the city’s support.

Facing the media on Tuesday, Mr Ellis was visibly frustrated when he addressed the mayor’s latest calls for the council to be investigated and dissolved if adverse findings emerge.

“I’m sure by now you’ve heard the troubling allegations that the Australian Labor Party has infiltrated our council and is coercing council to oppose Mayor Troy Thompson,” Mr Ellis said.

“Honestly, I take this as a personal insult to my integrity and the integrity of my nine fellow councillors.

“I’d like to take this opportunity not just as an independent councillor but also as a member of the LNP to say this is totally untrue.”

The mayor will face a no-confidence vote from his own council on Wednesday after all councillors, including Mr Ellis, called for him to resign amid ongoing investigations into him.

“To his supporters, there is no shame in being fooled — many of us were,” Mr Ellis said.

“However, there’s a difference between being fooled once and still believing what is false when the evidence is presented to you.

“No one but the mayor made the representations about his service history and having been in the SAS.

“I and the other councillors have just found out that these representations were false.

“No one but the mayor repeatedly said that he was the man for the job because he has two degrees. Spoiler alert: he has none.”

Even with his disdain for the Labor Party, Mr Ellis refused to blame them for Mr Thompson’s predicament.

“I am no fan of the Labor Party, and I hope that a bunch of them are tipped out at the next state election, but I suspect it was not the Labor Party who asked the mayor to make an election claim about wanting openness and transparency,” he said.

He also blasted Mr Thompson’s actions since taking office, from pushing for a secret ballot to choosing the deputy mayor to try to exclude councillors from the CEO recruitment process.

“Hiding this vote was a deliberate and unnecessary option that the mayor tried to push,” he said.

“For me, it would have shrouded the vote in unnecessary and unwanted secrecy. Townsville deserves better.”

Mr Ellis clarified that removing Mr Thompson wouldn’t bring back former Mayor Jenny Hill.

“There will be a by-election, and if the mayor really thinks that he has the support of Townsville, he can, of course, run again. I encourage him to resign and try again.”

In a final, impassioned plea, he called for the mayor to step down for the good of the city.

“On behalf of the thousands of brave men and women who’ve served this country and their families, on behalf of those who genuinely excelled and graduated with degrees in their fields, on behalf of the tens of thousands of people whose trust you have broken, and on behalf of the whole nation who is viewing Townsville as a joke right now, please resign.”

Originally published as Councillor Brady Ellis blasts Mayor Troy Thompson, dismisses Labor coercion claims