Mayor on notice, premier vows to clear council 'mess'

Townsville's mayor is on notice after the premier vowed to clean up a "mess" at the council. (Fraser Barton/AAP PHOTOS)

A controversial mayor is on notice after the Queensland premier vowed to clean up the "mess" at an embattled council in the state's north.

David Crisafulli on Thursday confirmed he had sought legal advice after ongoing friction at Townsville council, saying the city's people "deserve so much better".

Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson had been served a show-cause notice in one of the Labor government's final acts, detailing a plan to suspend him for 12 months.

Councillor Thompson issued his response by the late October deadline, providing a 23-page defence including "35 documents of evidence" and a nine-page timeline of events.

Mr Crisafulli said he had sought Crown Law advice on the next steps, just days after the Liberal National Party leader was sworn in as Queensland's 41st premier.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.
David Crisafulli says Townsville had been "tarnished" by a city council controversy.

A former Townsville deputy mayor, Mr Crisafulli said the north Queensland city's reputation had been "tarnished" by the council controversy.

"I've still got friends and family there and I know how it makes them feel," he said.

"It's as though a really proud city, its reputation, has been dragged through the mud through no fault of its own and it needs to be cleared up.

"I'm going to do it with the best legal advice possible, but I want the people of Townsville to know they matter to me, and we're going to find a solution."

Mr Crisafulli has been busy launching his 100-day plan after being sworn in as the LNP's first premier since Campbell Newman's 2012-2015 stint.

He has hit the ground running with his cabinet set to be sworn in on Friday and two parliamentary sessions to be held by Christmas ushering in tough new youth crime laws.

However the premier vowed to find time to seek a Townsville council solution.

"It's a mess and I really feel for the people of Townsville," he said.

"It's a proud city with great people and they feel as though their reputation is being tarnished by the actions of the council and the mayor."

The premier said he had not yet looked at Cr Thompson's show-cause notice response or any material on the matter from the previous government.

Cr Thompson is being investigated by the state's corruption watchdog over matters including claims made during his 2024 mayoral campaign that he served five years in the army.

He later conceded on Nine Network's A Current Affair that he misled voters about his military record, blaming "100-plus" concussions.

It sparked a unanimous no-confidence council vote in Townsville, the country's biggest garrison city boasting more than 15,000 Australian Defence Force personnel.

Cr Thompson has since resisted calls to stand down amid ongoing issues with colleagues.

He said in an earlier statement the show-cause notice he had been issued set a "dangerous precedence" and he would seek a High Court injunction if suspended.

The Labor government issued the show-cause notice in one of its final acts before going into caretaker mode ahead of Saturday's election.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store