Margie Ryder calls on Phillip Thompson to work with, not against, council and state government

A former councillor says it’s time for Herbert MP Phillip Thompson to stop working against other city leaders. WATCH THE VIDEO.

It’s time for Herbert MP Phillip Thompson to move in sync with Townsville’s leaders, former councillor Margie Ryder says.

She’s called on Mr Thompson to work with other leaders for the greater good of the city, despite years of refusing to work with the council.

This comes after Mr Thompson slammed Townsville City Council for “poor civic leadership” in the wake of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s decision to relocate the festival to Cairns.

He described the move as a “devastating blow” for the region and called on the councillors to go back to the drawing board and “start to consult with those who make our region so wonderful”.

AFCM made the decision to leave the city after the council voted to divert funding for the concert hall to the redevelopment of ReefHQ.

Ms Ryder, an outspoken advocate who ran for the Katter’s Australian Party in the state election after losing her position at council, called on Mr Thompson to move in-step with his counterparts in state and local government to achieve, rather than working against them.

She said everyone should be “hunting in packs” because they were all working towards the same objective, whether that be a concert hall or another big-ticket item.

“You’ve been doing it for years, and … you continue to not work with your local council and you bag the shit out of them,” she said to Mr Thompson in her video.

Phillip Thompson OAM MP. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Former councillor Margie Ryder.

Ms Ryder said he should try “jumping in the circle” with the rest of the state and local leaders.

“Until our federal, state and local government work together nothing ever, ever is going to happen,” she said.

“Have a good look at yourself … hunt in packs and maybe we will get our concert hall.”

Mr Thompson told the Bulletin that he appreciated Ms Ryder’s “colour and contribution”.

“As a former Member of Team Hill, I can understand why she personally thinks hunting in packs is the way to go,” he said.

“However, I think the people of Townsville spoke at the last local government election that the pack mentality put up by Jenny Hill and her running mates wasn’t supported by our community anymore because it felt more like a dictatorship and simply wasn’t delivering results or the vision our city needed.”

AFCM Protest for Concert Hall outside the Ville, venue for the Bush Summit. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Thompson said under the City Deal, both the concert hall and Reef HQ were fully funded.

“I worked collaboratively with our community and all levels of government to achieve this,” he said.

“The new council should never have allowed the Albanese government to short change our region of one of those projects.”

In his time as Herbert MP, Mr Thompson has regularly spoken out against decisions made by governments at a local and state level.

When the former Labor state government was in power, he called out MPs Scott Stewart, Les Walker and Aaron Harper on city’s crime issue.

He has since said he would continue to hold the LNP accountable on the issue at a state level.

At times, Mr Thompson has also spoken out against his own government, including when the Australian Defence Force trialled using chloroquine on Diggers in an effective prevention measure for COVID-19.

Originally published as Margie Ryder calls on Phillip Thompson to work with, not against, council and state government