Former Townsville mayor Troy Thompson found to have misled voters about cancer diagnosis and military history

Former Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson Embroiled in Scandal Over Misleading Claims and Leaked Confidential Documents

A damning report by the Crime and Corruption Commission has found that former Townsville mayor Troy Thompson misled voters about his cancer diagnosis, military history, and university qualifications. The CCC also uncovered a web of deceit and corruption, including leaked confidential documents and false claims made during his mayoral campaign.

Thompson had claimed to have served in the SAS and exaggerated his length of service, but he later blamed 100-plus concussions and epilepsy for forgetting details of his military service. However, the CCC obtained Thompson's medical records, which revealed no evidence of specialist treatment for epilepsy and a general practitioner's endorsement of an anti-seizure medication plan.

Thompson also falsely claimed to be a "cancer survivor" during his mayoral campaign, claiming he had been told to "get your affairs in order" in 2021 due to oesophageal cancer. However, his medical records do not record a diagnosis or treatment for the condition. The CCC suggested that Thompson's comments about his stomach and potential cancer diagnosis were related to post-gastric sleeve complications from surgery.

The report also found that Thompson had made similar claims on Facebook in 2019, which led to a relative commenting on one of his posts blaming his gastric band surgery for his false claims. Furthermore, Thompson self-reported the removal of several "melanomas", but medical records revealed he had malignant skin lesions removed in 2020 with no further treatment.

In addition to these misrepresentations, the CCC also found that Thompson leaked confidential documents to an unnamed adviser during his mayoral term, sending them over 8,741 encrypted WhatsApp messages. The adviser was paid at least $5,300 for political and policy advice, despite having no formal role within the council. The CCC argued that this appointment posed a corruption risk.

Thompson's lawyer has denied any wrongdoing and declined to respond in circumstances where there is a prospect of future criminal proceedings. However, the CCC report recommended introducing new mechanisms for candidates to declare their qualifications and employment history, with sanctions if the information was found to be false.

dude can you believe this guy's gotta go? he made up his whole life story like it was some kinda joke and now the people of townsville are left to wonder what else he might've lied about. i mean, 8k encrypted whatsapp messages leaking confidential docs is just low and now they're gonna introduce new rules for candidates to make sure this doesn't happen again

Its crazy how fast people can spin a web of lies and still try to keep up the charade ! This guy Troy Thompson thought he could fool everyone with his "cancer survivor" claim and SAS story, but the truth came out, and it looks like he got caught red-handed . The thing is, we all know how easy it is to get carried away with our own stories and lose track of reality . We gotta be careful not to confuse our own "facts" with someone else's .

The bigger picture here is that when we mess with people's trust, we also mess with the very fabric of our communities . So let this be a lesson: honesty is key, and if you're gonna spin a tale, at least have the decency to keep your own head in check !

I'm shocked by Troy Thompson's antics... I mean, who makes up all that stuff on a campaign trail? It's just unbelievable he thought he could get away with it too. And now this whistleblower from his own Facebook post exposing him as a fake cancer survivor? The guy's got some serious 'splainin' to do.

I'm also kinda miffed that the CCC didn't dig up more dirt on all the other shady stuff Thompson was doing behind closed doors... like those encrypted WhatsApp messages... Did he really think that one was private?! I mean, it's not like that's how politics is done in this country, right? Anyway, at least something's being done about it now. Maybe we can all learn from this debacle and demand more transparency from our politicians? Fingers crossed!

This whole thing just goes to show that integrity matters . Troy Thompson's actions may have seemed insignificant at first, but they were actually a web of deceit that put everyone around him in the spotlight . I think we can all learn from his mistakes - honesty is always the best policy, and it's never too late to own up to our flaws and apologize .

The fact that Thompson thought he could get away with exaggerating his qualifications and hiding his health issues just shows how confident people can be in their own fabricated stories . But ultimately, this case serves as a reminder that accountability is key - if we can't trust our leaders to tell the truth, who can we trust?

I'd say we should all take a page out of Thompson's book (or rather, the CCC report) and strive for transparency in our own lives . Be honest with yourself and others about your strengths and weaknesses - it may not be easy, but it's always better to come clean than to risk losing credibility entirely .

OMG, this just got too juicy for my taste . I mean, I'm all about keeping it real, but come on! It's like Troy Thompson thought he could get away with faking his whole life story . I don't think I'd wanna vote for someone who can't be trusted to tell the truth, you know?

I do think it's interesting that some of these false claims were made way back in 2019, though . Maybe he was trying to get ahead or something? And those leaked confidential documents are just sketchy . I mean, who leaks sensitive info like that? Not cool, dude.

It's also kinda funny (in a not-funny-at-all kind of way) that someone called him out on Facebook for his gastric band surgery claims . But seriously, if he didn't have any melanomas removed... what was the point of all those false claims?

Anyway, I'm glad the CCC is keeping an eye on things and pushing for more transparency . We should all be able to trust the people we elect to represent us, right?

oh man this guy thompson is like totally out of control his whole cancer thing was just a big lie & he's got some serious nerve claiming 100+ concussions & epilepsy are what made him forget his military service like come on dude get your facts straight! and then there's all these leaked docs on whatsapp where he's basically selling out the council for some cash gotta give it to him though, at least he's consistent in being dishonest

this guy's lies are off the charts he thinks he can just make up his own history and people will believe it? Newsflash Troy: your medical records ain't nobody's diary and leaked confidential docs are not something you just share with anyone for a quick buck . 8,741 encrypted WhatsApp messages is wild, what was he trying to hide? and now the CCC wants new rules so no one else can get away with this BS . Thompson's lawyer better come clean or face the music

just saw this story about Troy Thompson and i'm shookttt how can someone lie like that on a scale from 1 to 10 im giving it a solid 11 he made up all these stories about his cancer diagnosis military history and university qualifications and now the CCC is saying he leaked confidential documents like what even is going on anyone else surprised by this level of deception

Oh man, this guy Troy Thompson's reputation is gonna be harder to revive than a Pokémon that's been in a 10-yr battleline . What's next? Did he also claim to have won a Pulitzer prize for his 'poetry' on Facebook back in 2019 . The CCC report is like a thorough audit of his life - what a difference between being honest and exaggerating... or making up stuff entirely . I mean, who tries to pass off cancer treatment as an excuse for not remembering things about their military service? Not impressed with the leaky WhatsApp messages either... just thinking "Who needs formal role within council when you can get paid $5k?" Guess he's got some explaining to do now .

I'm like totally shocked by this news about Troy Thompson, you know? He's got some serious nerve trying to spin his own BS as true. I mean, 100+ concussions and epilepsy is a pretty big deal, and he's trying to use that as an excuse for not remembering stuff from his military service? And then there's this whole thing about the cancer diagnosis - it's like, come on Troy, we're not born yesterday. You can't just make up some BS about being a cancer survivor and expect people to believe it.

And what's even more messed up is that he was leaking confidential documents over WhatsApp - 8,741 messages! That's like, whoa. And the adviser he hired for $5,300? No formal role in the council, but still getting paid to advise on politics and policy? That's just not right.

The CCC report makes some solid points about needing more transparency from candidates when it comes to their qualifications and employment history. It's like, we should be able to trust what they're telling us, you know? So yeah, I think this whole thing needs a serious dose of scrutiny.

.. what's really going on here? It's all about how we present ourselves to others, ain't it? We put our best foot forward, tryin' to impress, but sometimes that masks the truth. I mean, think 'bout it... Troy Thompson was tryin' to show off his military service and university degrees, even though he had some pretty sketchy excuses for forgettin' or exaggeratin'. And then there's this whole cancer thing... he's hopin' people feel sorry for him? It's like we're all puttin' on a show, tryin' to get the validation we need.

The thing is, when we lie or distort the truth, it can lead down some dark paths. And when someone gets caught up in that, it can ruin lives and relationships. So yeah... let's learn from this, folks! Be honest with ourselves and others. Our integrity is worth more than any old fake credentials or PR stunt

I'm not surprised at all that some ppl think they can just fake it till they make it . Like, a 100+ concussions from military service? Please do tell how those 100+ concussions magically fixed your brain so you could remember EVERYTHING . And omg, the fact that he had malignant skin lesions removed but claimed to have self-reported "melanomas" is just wild. It's like he wanted to be a superhero or something . Anyway, I guess this just goes to show that some ppl will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means lying about their qualifications and personal life .

I'm not surprised at all about this scandal involving Troy Thompson - the guy's been making outlandish claims for years! Like, come on, who makes up fake military service and cancer diagnoses? It's just so lazy and dishonest. And to make matters worse, he leaked confidential documents with encrypted messages - that's some serious corruption right there! The CCC report is spot on in saying that he needs to be held accountable for his actions. Maybe if he took a few minutes to fact-check himself, we wouldn't have all this drama? It's time for him to take responsibility and be transparent about who he really is - not some fictional version of himself! #AccountabilityMatters #HonestyIsTheBestPolicy #CorruptionHasNoPlace

man... what's goin' on with this guy troy thompson?? first off, he's got some serious nerve thinkin' he can just lie about his cancer diagnosis and military service like it's no big deal? newsflash troy: when you're makin' stuff up like that, people are gonna find out... and boy, did they ever! all these leaked docs and false claims, it's like he thought he was above the law or somethin'. and 8k+ encrypted watsapp messages to some adviser? come on, man. that's just lazy and corrupt.

i don't know what kinda game thompson's playin', but it ain't gonna fly. the CCC's report is spot on - he needs to be held accountable for his actions. and can we talk about how these so-called "leaders" are always tryin' to spin their own BS into somethin' legit? like, what even is a "cancer survivor"? if you're just makin' that up, then why are you braggin' about it on facebook? anyway, at least the CCC's lookin' out for us and suggestin' some new rules for candidates. maybe then we'll get some real leaders who ain't afraid to tell the truth

this guy thompson is some kinda joke... i mean who tries to pull off something like that? first it's his cancer diagnosis, then his military service, and university stuff... what's next? he had 100 concussions or something and suddenly forgets everything about his "service"? and the stomach thing was just a red herring... i mean who makes up a whole story like that about getting cancer treatment? it's just ridiculous... and then you add to that all those leaked documents on whatsapp... what is he, some kinda amateur spy? anyway, good on the CCC for exposing him...

This guy can't even be trusted to tell his own story... I mean, what's up with all these different versions of his "cancer diagnosis" ? And those leaked WhatsApp messages, 8k+ encrypted texts just floating around?! Unbelievable. It's like he thought he was above the law, or that nobody would fact-check his BS. Newsflash: we've got better fact-checking than that now! The CCC did a good job exposing him, but I still can't help feeling disappointed - we deserve better from our leaders.

Dude I'm low-key impressed by how far people will go to get ahead . Troy Thompson is like a master manipulator, making up this crazy stuff about his military service and cancer diagnosis just to seem more impressive. And then he's got the nerve to deny it all when caught red-handed . The fact that he was able to keep up the charade for so long is really wild. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good underdog story... until you find out they're just making all that stuff up . Anyway, I guess this whole thing is a bit of a wake-up call for politicians to get their facts straight and stop playing games with the public .

Umm... so like, I don't know what's more shocking – that Troy Thompson made all those fake claims or that he got caught doing it . I mean, who does that? And yeah, 8,741 encrypted WhatsApp messages is a lot, but like, shouldn't someone have noticed that something was fishy about his adviser getting paid over $5,300 for no actual role in the council? . But at the same time, maybe it's just a good idea to make candidates declare their qualifications and employment history, 'cause why take the risk, right? . Wait, does that mean I'm saying he's guilty of something or not? Maybe I am, maybe I'm not... .

I don't think it's fair to label Troy Thompson as a "liar" just because he made some mistakes in his public statements. I mean, we've all been there, right? We've all said something we regret or exaggerated ourselves for whatever reason. And let's be real, 100-plus concussions and epilepsy can definitely affect your memory!

And yeah, maybe Thompson wasn't entirely honest about his cancer diagnosis, but I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding. And who hasn't had to "get their affairs in order" due to some health issue? It's not like he intentionally tried to deceive people.

I also think the CCC is being a bit harsh by recommending sanctions for candidates who make mistakes. Can't we just give them another chance and learn from their errors? And what's with all these confidential documents? Can't an adviser just ask someone for their advice without having to encrypt 8,741 messages?