MP Phillip Thompson weighs in on Troy Thompson suspension show-cause notice: ‘Should he be removed?’

Herbert’s federal MP says Labor and LNP are united in suspending Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson, asking whether he should be removed completely for the good of the city. Have your say in our poll.

Herbert’s federal MP says Labor and LNP are united in suspending Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson, asking whether he should be removed completely for the good of the city.

The mayor has three weeks to respond to Premier Steven Miles and Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon’s show-cause notice, and MP Phillip Thompson said he wanted a quick resolution so council can get back to doing its job.

Phillip Thompson MP. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“The leader of the opposition David Crisafulli said he will work with the current premier in what the determination will be. So by that account, it sounds like bipartisan support for it,” the MP said.

“His own council has said that there’s no confidence there.

“He has three weeks. This is the time where he will need to plead his case on why he should stay as the mayor of Townsville, or, you know, should he be removed? That will be a matter for this premier or the next one.”

The federal MP said the mayor should have stepped aside as soon as the Crime and Corruption Commision investigation began after he admitted on national television to misleading the community during his campaign about his military, university and business qualifications. The CCC’s probe remains ongoing, and no action has been taken.

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Mayor Troy Thompson in the Townsville City Council general meeting on Wednesday. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“I said the same thing about when the former mayor Jenny Hill was in an accident. I said while she was going to court, she should step aside as well,” Phillip said.

“So anytime there’s something big like that, the community deserves to have people that are there, that A) aren’t distracted and B) can go through that legal process.”Ms Hill was charged in October 2020 over her involvement in a fatal car vs. motorbike crash but was acquitted of the charge in August 2021.

Phillip said as a federally elected member he needed to have a good working relationship with local government to act in the community’s best interests.

“It is a dumpster fire at Walker Street,” he said.

“It is not operating in the interest of the people of Townsville … because we’re wasting all this time talking about the mayor and what he’s done wrong, or if he should stand down or if he should stand aside. We’re not talking about the ratepayers.”

‘It’s unprecedented’

Meanwhile, Townsville Councillor Brady Ellis let loose on his social media page Wednesday night after a fiery meeting where Mayor Thompson used his mayoral minute to accuse his councillors of bullying him.

“I have faced trial by media, my own executive and councillors, and yet I am still here,” Mayor Thompson said as he stated he had “no intention” to resign.

“As I have reported, I have been exposed to bullying, intimidation, discrimination by council, councillors and the executive. I am still here because I choose to be.”

In a response to a resident asking about the “major problems” with the mayor, Cr Ellis didn’t hold back.

“If we look at recent weeks alone he’s tried to demand council pay him $100k in a letter of demand,” Cr Ellis said.

Councillor Brady Ellis in a Townsville City Council general meeting. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“He then denied it and accused everyone else of lying about it, until the proof actually came out the next day confirming he definitely was. [Accused] fellow councillors [of] being corrupt and dragged their names through the mud even though he knew they weren’t. The legal department debunked the claims within minutes.

“He is not actually doing the job he is being paid to do as he is not meeting with state/federal members regularly to secure funding for our city.

“He keeps pushing the narrative that anyone against him is part of the Labor party machine despite every political party (independents, LNP, LAB, KAP) saying his position is untenable.

“Do you have any idea how bad you have to be for that to happen? It’s unprecedented.

“You just have to watch the farce that is created during every council meeting … this is a tiny tiny fraction of the issues that I can legally talk about as they are publicly known and they are being repeated and compounded daily.”

The mayor has until October 22 to fully respond to Minister Scanlon’s show-cause notice before further steps can be taken in suspending him for 12 months.

Originally published as MP Phillip Thompson weighs in on Troy Thompson suspension show-cause notice: ‘Should he be removed?’