By 9News,Emily Bennett
Copyright 9news
Suspended Queensland mayor Troy Thompson has resigned from his position amid a probe by the state’s crime and corruption commission but has vowed to recontest the top job in an upcoming byelection.
Thompson formally resigned from Townsville City Council today after he was suspended for a year on full pay of $225,000 by the Queensland government last November.
The 54-year-old, who was elected to the position in March last year, came under fire over claims he exaggerated his military service history and university qualifications to impress voters in the military city.
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Local government minister Ann Leahy issued the former One Nation Party member with a show cause notice last week after she received an interim briefing on a probe by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
The notice gave Thompson 14 days to explain why he should not be terminated from the position of mayor.
Thompson, who has resigned from the role before the notice period was due to lapse, said he wanted to take a “deliberate and principled stand to protect the democratic rights of the people of Townsville”.
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“This resignation is not an admission of wrongdoing,” he said in a video posted to social media.
“Political interference has no place in our democracy, only the community should decide who leads this city.
“A vote for Troy Thompson is no longer just a vote for a person, it is a vote to protect our democracy.”
In an interview with A Current Affair last year, Thompson admitted when he told voters about his military service history, he “probably didn’t say it right pre-election” and put his cloudy memory down to health issues.
”Those who know me know that I’ve had multiple concussions, 100-plus, and I suffer from epilepsy,” he said at the time.
“That’s not an excuse, but what it says is you’re going to forget things from time to time.”
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