Launceston Councillors Pass No Confidence Vote in Mayor Matthew Garwood After Ronnie Radke Fallout

Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood is facing serious political heat after councillors passed a vote of no confidence against him.

The vote against Garwood was sparked by a now-infamous social media post with Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke.

The motion, raised by Councillor Tim Walker, passed five votes to three during Thursday’s council meeting. It came after days of backlash over Garwood’s Facebook post showing him backstage with Radke, who was in town for a show.

What followed was a wave of criticism—fuelled by Radke himself, who responded to local councillors raising concerns about his criminal history with a string of expletive-laced online rants, directly targeting council members.

Garwood, a long-time fan of Radke and former The Voice contestant, addressed the controversy before exiting the chamber as reported in Pulse Tasmania. “I take full responsibility and I acknowledge the parts that I’ve had to play in this week’s events,” he said. “I understand that it’s caused contention and it’s really affected our community.”

He maintained that his support for the band was personal, but conceded that the fallout had a negative impact on council. “I take full ownership,” he added. “I look forward to making better choices and to really learn from this.”

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Walker said the motion was necessary, despite his past support for Garwood. “He no longer has my support,” he said. “All I’m asking today is for councillors to directly reflect upon the consequences of his actions—or inaction.”

It’s important to note the no-confidence vote is symbolic only. Garwood remains Mayor unless he steps down.

The meeting took place without Councillors Andrea Dawkins and Lindi McMahon, who were both targeted by Radke online and were not in attendance. Deputy Mayor Hugh McKenzie was also absent. Councillors Joe Pentridge and George Razay voted in support of Garwood, while Susie Cai abstained.

What started as a personal photo-op has snowballed into a political mess. It has since dragged the Launceston council into the global spotlight for all the wrong reasons. While Garwood may still hold office for the moment, it’s pretty clear the damage has already been done.