Townsville mayor demanded an apology from media after fine
Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said the media should apologize for their coverage of the incident. Police issued him with a $1,036 fine notice for disorderly conduct at a licensed venue.
Investigation of the incident
As reported by ABC News Australia, the incident occurred in June at a bar on Magnetic Island in North Queensland. Police completed their investigation and did not lay charges.
Law enforcement officers examined reports of an alleged altercation between Dametto and a 28-year-old staff member of Adam Baillie, a Liberal National Party MP representing Townsville. The event took place during a bar tour organized by a local tourism operator.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Positions of the parties
Dametto said he did not understand what he was supposed to apologize for. He criticized coverage of the event by The Townsville Bulletin and Seven News, saying there had been no fight and nobody had thrown any punches. According to the mayor, the investigation did not establish that an assault had occurred.
The mayor also said he had not yet received the fine notice itself and first learned about it from the media. After consulting a lawyer, he will decide whether to pay the fine or challenge it.
Baillie, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, said the mayor's conduct was a matter for him to resolve himself. He added that he was focused on the welfare of his staff but could work effectively with Dametto. Queensland's Office of the Independent Assessor declined to comment on whether it was considering the matter.
