Townsville has delivered a resounding rejection of its former mayor, Troy Thompson, handing a surprise victory to Nick Dametto, a 42-year-old bodybuilder and bull-riding politician from the populist right. As of Sunday morning, Dametto had garnered over 61% of the vote in Saturday's byelection, with Ann-Maree Greaney, the acting mayor, conceding defeat on social media.
The swing against Thompson is being described as one of the biggest in Australian electoral history. In September, Thompson resigned as mayor after allegations of misleading voters about his army service, which led to a suspension on full pay while the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigated. Despite this controversy, Thompson had won the 2024 mayoralty with 46.4% of the primary vote.
In contrast, Dametto's popularity is attributed to his youth, visibility in northern Queensland, and a strong anti-immigration message. As deputy leader of Katter's Australian Party, he was involved in recent anti-immigration marches in Townsville and campaigned for the appointment of a minister for men.
Dametto's victory has been welcomed by the government, with Premier David Crisafulli praising him as "strongly backed" by Townsville residents. The politician has also faced criticism for his campaign promises, including an aggressive new flying fox dispersal regime and pushing for "castle law", which would allow homeowners to use deadly force against intruders on their property.
Analysts attribute Dametto's surprise victory to his ability to avoid controversy and his strong connection with the local community. Paul Williams, a political analyst, described Thompson's poor showing as a result of the "colourful soap opera" surrounding his campaign. Meanwhile, Dametto's party affiliation has drawn comparisons to other populist right-wing politicians in Australia.
The byelection has sparked interest as a key test for the Crisafulli government, with a by-election for Hinchinbrook scheduled for November 29. As Dametto celebrates his surprise victory, it remains to be seen how he will govern the city and whether his views on immigration and other issues will resonate with residents.
The swing against Thompson is being described as one of the biggest in Australian electoral history. In September, Thompson resigned as mayor after allegations of misleading voters about his army service, which led to a suspension on full pay while the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigated. Despite this controversy, Thompson had won the 2024 mayoralty with 46.4% of the primary vote.
In contrast, Dametto's popularity is attributed to his youth, visibility in northern Queensland, and a strong anti-immigration message. As deputy leader of Katter's Australian Party, he was involved in recent anti-immigration marches in Townsville and campaigned for the appointment of a minister for men.
Dametto's victory has been welcomed by the government, with Premier David Crisafulli praising him as "strongly backed" by Townsville residents. The politician has also faced criticism for his campaign promises, including an aggressive new flying fox dispersal regime and pushing for "castle law", which would allow homeowners to use deadly force against intruders on their property.
Analysts attribute Dametto's surprise victory to his ability to avoid controversy and his strong connection with the local community. Paul Williams, a political analyst, described Thompson's poor showing as a result of the "colourful soap opera" surrounding his campaign. Meanwhile, Dametto's party affiliation has drawn comparisons to other populist right-wing politicians in Australia.
The byelection has sparked interest as a key test for the Crisafulli government, with a by-election for Hinchinbrook scheduled for November 29. As Dametto celebrates his surprise victory, it remains to be seen how he will govern the city and whether his views on immigration and other issues will resonate with residents.
what's up with damettos campaign promises tho? like, flying fox dispersal regime is crazy 
and who thought "castle law" was a good idea 
i feel like he's gonna be all about conflict rather than resolving issues 
. I mean, I know Troy Thompson's whole army service thing was a mess, but you'd think that would've hurt him more than 61% of the vote? 
But Nick Dametto, he just kind of swooped in and won over the community with his anti-immigration message and being young and relatable. It's like he tapped into this vibe of "us vs them" and people really latched onto that 
. I'm worried about what his policies on immigration and other stuff might do to the city, though... it feels like a pretty divisive win 
. Can't wait to see how he governs and if the locals actually get what they voted for 
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, but at least he's willing to stir the pot and get people talking. The gov's support for him is also interesting - it shows they're trying to tap into the discontent in northern QLD 
. Anyway, I'm curious to see how Dametto governs now that he's mayor 
... but dametto's win is defo a wake-up call for the gov, like, how are they gonna work w/ someone who's got such strong views on immigration & stuff? 
anyway, gotta give credit to dametto for being able to connect w/ the community, but it's gonna be interesting to see how he does as mayor... fingers crossed he doesn't make any more waves 
... it's crazy how he got 61% of the vote despite everything that went down with Troy Thompson 
. I mean, i get it, people are fed up with politics as usual, but come on, some of his promises sound sketchy 
. and the whole "castle law" thing? that's just plain creepy 
? only time will tell 
or is it just that sometimes we want someone to shake things up, even if it means getting a little messy? Dametto might have won this battle, but will he be able to lead Townsville to victory in the long run? only time will tell... 
I mean, it's not like that's exactly what Townsville needed after all those years of 'colourful soap operas'... *cough* Troy Thompson *cough*. But hey, at least Dametto can still compete with his abs on the campaign trail 
I'm skeptical about this whole thing... Like, how could Thompson just resign after getting suspended from full pay? That's some dodgy politics if you ask me 
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. Not to mention those flying fox dispersal plans sound like a recipe for disaster 
. And what's with the "castle law" business? Is he serious about arming homeowners or just trying to stir up controversy 
. One thing's for sure, this byelection is a major bellwether for the upcoming election 
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. Now we just have to wait and see how he'll govern Townsville and whether his views will be popular with residents 
i'm not surprised though he did seem pretty popular at those anti-immigration marches and his party affiliation is definitely divisive but at the same time ppl were feeling like they needed a change 
i'm curious to see how he'll govern tho - will he be able to balance his party's views with what's best for the city? 
. Dametto's young and visible, which might've helped him connect with locals 
. but on the flip side, his party's got some pretty radical ideas 
. btw, did you know that Aussie voters are getting more conservative? 
. in 2020, 64% of Austs voted for a conservative gov 
His anti-immigration message really spoke to the community 
. And let's be real, his campaign promises about "castle law" and flying fox dispersal regime are totally reasonable 
. I'm so glad the government is supporting him - it just goes to show they're really on the pulse of what Townsville residents want 
. But seriously, how can anyone trust a politician who's basically a reality TV star? 
. It's going to be interesting to see how he navigates the next few months