Townsville councillor Brady Ellis rejects claims by embattled mayor

Townsville Councillor Brady Ellis has firmly denied that embattled Mayor Troy Thompson was the one who lobbied the state government to appoint a special adviser to resolve the ongoing bad blood within council.

Townsville City councillor Brady Ellis in a council meeting as interim CEO Joe McCabe looks on. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville City Council staff and councillors are up in the air after the State Government announced the appointment of a special adviser to resolve the internal feud against embattled Mayor Troy Thompson.

Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon declared a state-appointed adviser would intervene with council dynamics as she said “we’re all adults”, but after a week there had been no further details on how this would work and how much it would cost the ratepayer.

Councillor Brady Ellis said he supported the State Government’s intervention but warned it could be a “long drawn out process”.

“They have to, I believe, find the person. They have to send them up here … it’s going to be unfortunately dragged out more than I would have liked,” Mr Ellis said.

“It’s unfortunate that we need this person to come in, however, I do welcome it.

Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson. Picture: Evan Morgan

“Whatever it costs, it’s going to be better than the alternative, the alternative is scary … absolute chaos.”

The council has reached an impasse where Mr Thompson, and a group of supporters advising him from outside the council, has alienated himself against the interim-CEO Joe McCabe and the 10 councillors.

The Mayor claimed after the announcement of the state appointed adviser that he advocated for the position and asked Ms Scanlon for it to resolve the bad blood within the council.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Public Works Meaghan Scanlon. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

“We have a situation where councillors blame me for everything, at the same time all I want to do is work with them for the betterment of the city,” Mr Thompson said.

But Mr Ellis rejected these claims outright.

“If someone starts a fire, and the fire brigade rock up, you don’t claim responsibility for the fire brigade coming,” Mr Ellis said.

Townsville Councillor Brady Ellis walks into an ordinary council meeting. Picture: Evan Morgan

“They’re there because you started the fire.”

He hoped such an adviser would intervene more strongly against Mr Thompson, who he blamed entirely on the council dynamics which recently prompted Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto to describe an “absolute bin fire”.

Mr Ellis had been out the door last Monday to begin three days of leave at about the same time Mr Thompson sent an email to his councillors, demanding they sign their allegiance and support to back him unconditionally in 24 hours.

If they did not support his campaign to cut interim-CEO Joe McCabe’s application for the permanent position, or back his bid to self-appoint his own political adviser at a $175,000 cost to the ratepayer, he would weaponise the media and push the state to dissolve the council.

In the days after councillors went public with the email’s contents, and after Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon announced an adviser to intervene, Mr Thompson held a press conference complaining against three unnamed councillors of accepting undeclared gifts.

He would not take questions, nor was the Bulletin invited until his conference was happening.

The council’s legal officer took the unusual step of denouncing the claims as untrue.

Mr Ellis said his councillor role was not something “I’m desperate to hold on to” as he responded to the likelihood of the council being dissolved.

“Theoretically, if we were to lose our jobs, which is extremely unlikely and I’m sure the Minister knows that as well, I’ll just go back to my regular life,” the pilates instructor said.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine, my daughter will still have food on her table every night, but it’s not the way you solve the problem.”

A Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works spokeswoman said the council had been given the terms of reference of the advisory role.

“It is expected the adviser will have a local presence, including attending council meetings, and will provide advice where needed,” the spokeswoman said.

The starting date for the adviser was yet to be confirmed.

This role would help the council maintain good governance and help council meetings run effectively and was expected to be in the role for about six months.

Originally published as Townsville councillor Brady Ellis rejects claims by embattled mayor