A damning report from Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has concluded that former Townsville mayor Troy Thompson systematically misled voters about his personal history, including fabricating a cancer diagnosis and exaggerating his military service.
A Pattern of Deception
The CCC investigation, detailed in a report tabled in Queensland's parliament, uncovered that Troy Thompson made false statements during his election campaign and subsequent tenure as mayor. He publicly claimed to be a "cancer survivor" who had been told to "get your affairs in order" in 2021 due to oesophageal cancer.
However, the CCC obtained his medical records, which revealed no diagnosis or treatment for oesophageal cancer. The report suggests his comments may have stemmed from post-gastric sleeve complications. Furthermore, despite claiming to have had melanomas removed, his records show he had malignant skin lesions removed in 2020 but "has had no melanomas diagnosed or treated".
Thompson also embellished his military record, falsely claiming to have served as a signalman alongside the SAS. The CCC found he had served in the army reserve and exaggerated his length of service. He later blamed "100-plus" concussions and epilepsy for forgetting details, but the commission found no evidence of specialist epilepsy treatment in his records.
Confidentiality Breaches and a Secret Adviser
Beyond the personal misrepresentations, the CCC found that Mayor Thompson leaked numerous confidential council documents to an unnamed adviser. Over a five-month period, he sent this individual 8,741 encrypted WhatsApp messages.
This adviser, who had no formal role within Townsville City Council, was paid at least $5,300 for political and policy advice. The commission determined that Thompson's "clandestine" appointment of this person "poses a corruption risk". The report states Thompson was aware of his confidentiality obligations and took steps to keep the relationship secret. None of these messages were preserved as public records.
Fallout and Legal Proceedings
Thompson's academic qualifications were also called into question. During the campaign, he claimed to have a business degree and "put myself through university". The CCC discovered this was false; he was only enrolled in a bachelor of commerce degree for one semester in 2006, passing two of four subjects, and holds no university qualifications.
Thompson stood down as mayor in September 2024 after 18 months of pressure, a move some accused him of making to avoid being dismissed so he could recontest his position. He was easily beaten in a subsequent by-election in November.
Through his lawyers, Thompson denied any misconduct or criminal offence and declined to provide a formal response to the CCC, citing the prospect of future criminal proceedings. The CCC has referred allegations about the false election claims and the leaking of confidential documents to the Queensland Department of Public Prosecutions. The commission has also recommended introducing a mechanism for candidates to declare qualifications and employment history, with sanctions for providing false information.
