The curious case of Townsville's mayor and a leaky Defence database
Troy Thompson is facing calls to resign after revelations he inflated his military service record. Questions are emerging over how the story came to light.
On its surface, the controversy surrounding the mayor of Townsville and his military service is a classic tale of small-town politics and hubris. But how it all came to light might be just as important as the story itself.
Troy Thompson is rejecting calls for his resignation from veterans’ groups and Queensland Premier Steven Miles after admitting he exaggerated his military record in the lead-up to local elections.
The former One Nation candidate wasn’t, as he claimed on the campaign trail, a veteran of the SAS, Australia’s most elite special forces. Instead, he was a military cook — and joined the army two years later than he claimed.
After being exposed by local media, the mayor blamed concussion and epilepsy for his poor memory, but insisted he had “spent some time with people from the SAS”.
