View source for Greg Thompson

{{Short description|Canadian politician (1947–2019)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| birth_name = Greg Francis Thompson
| honorific-suffix = [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada|PC]]
| image = Greg Thompson in 2018.jpg
| caption = Thompson in 2018
| office1 = [[Department of Intergovernmental Affairs (New Brunswick)|Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of New Brunswick]]
| term_start1 = November 9, 2018
| term_end1 = September 10, 2019
| premier1 = [[Blaine Higgs]]
| predecessor1 = [[Francine Landry]]
| successor1 = [[Blaine Higgs]]
| office2 = Member of the<br />[[New Brunswick Legislative Assembly]]<br />for [[Saint Croix (electoral district)|Saint Croix]]
| term_start2 = September 24, 2018
| term_end2 = September 10, 2019
| predecessor2 = [[John Ames (politician)|John Ames]]
| successor2 = 
| office3 = [[Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)|Minister of Veterans Affairs]]
| term_start3 = February 6, 2006
| term_end3 = January 16, 2010
| primeminister3 = [[Stephen Harper]]
| predecessor3 = [[Albina Guarnieri]]
| successor3 = [[Jean-Pierre Blackburn]]
| office4 = [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[New Brunswick Southwest]]
| term_start4 = June 2, 1997
| term_end4 = May 2, 2011
| predecessor4 = District created
| successor4 = [[John Williamson (Canadian politician)|John Williamson]]
| office5 = [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Carleton—Charlotte]]
| term_start5 = November 21, 1988
| term_end5 = October 25, 1993
| predecessor5 = [[Fred McCain]]
| successor5 = [[Harold Culbert]]
| birth_date = {{birth date |1947|03|28}}
| birth_place = [[St. Stephen, New Brunswick|St. Stephen]], [[New Brunswick]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|09|10|1947|03|28}}
| death_place = [[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]], [[New Brunswick]]
| party = [[Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick|Progressive Conservative]] (2018 - 2019)
| spouse = Linda Thompson
| otherparty = {{Plainlist|
* [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] (before 2003)
*[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] (2003-2011)}}
}}

'''Gregory Francis Thompson''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100%|PC}} (March 28, 1947 – September 10, 2019<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5278834 Greg Thompson, longtime politician and Saint Croix MLA, dies at 72]</ref>) was a Canadian politician who served six terms as a [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] (MP), and for one term he represented the district of [[Saint Croix (electoral district)|Saint Croix]] in the [[New Brunswick Legislative Assembly]], from 2018 until 2019.

== Political career ==
Thompson was a high school history teacher at Fundy High School from 1975 to 1980.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes2006/riding/030/|title=Canada Votes 2006: New Brunswick Southwest|work=CBC News|access-date=June 22, 2014}}</ref>

Thompson, a high school teacher, a businessman and financial planner was first elected to the [[House of Commons of Canada]] in the [[1988 Canadian federal election]] as a member of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada]]. He was elected in the riding of [[Carleton—Charlotte]]. His bid for re-election in the [[1993 Canadian federal election]] was unsuccessful and he was defeated by [[Harold Culbert]] of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] by fewer than 1,000 votes.

Thompson however ran again in the [[1997 Canadian federal election|next election]] and was re-elected in the riding of [[Charlotte (electoral district)|Charlotte]], where he defeated Culbert. Thompson was re-elected in the [[2000 Canadian federal election]] in the riding of [[New Brunswick Southwest]] and again the [[2004 Canadian federal election]] in the riding of [[St. Croix—Belleisle]]. Shortly before the 2004 election, he joined the new [[Conservative Party of Canada]]. He was re-elected in the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 federal election]]. In the [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008 federal election]] he was elected for a sixth term in the riding of [[New Brunswick Southwest]] by garnering over 58% of the vote.

During his time in parliament, he has served as the critic of Human Resources Development, the Treasury Board, Regional Development, Health, and Public Accounts, as well as critic of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. On February 6, 2006, he was appointed [[Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)|Minister of Veterans Affairs]] in [[Stephen Harper]]'s [[Cabinet of Canada|Cabinet]].  In April 2007, he and Harper told the press in [[Kitchener, Ontario]] that a [[Veterans' Bill of Rights]] would come into effect soon and there would be a new [[ombudsman]] for veterans along with it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-s-veterans-get-bill-of-rights-1.681104|title=Canada's veterans get bill of rights|date=April 3, 2007|work=CBC News|access-date=June 22, 2014}}</ref>

Thompson resigned from his position in Cabinet on January 16, 2010, because years of travel had worn him down and he wasn't looking forward to making a trip to New Zealand due to the length and time he had to invest in the trip. He also announced he would not run in the [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011 federal election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/veterans-affairs-minister-thompson-resigns-1.904978|title=Veterans Affairs minister Thompson resigns|date=January 16, 2010|work=CBC News|access-date=June 22, 2014}}</ref><ref name="NZ_Herald_10620764">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10620764|title=Go to NZ? No way - I quit, says minister|date=January 18, 2010|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|access-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref>

===Veterans Affairs privacy issues ===
[[Image:Greg Thompson talks with Canadian veteran.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Thompson speaking with veterans at the ceremony marking the 89th Anniversary of the [[Battle of Vimy Ridge]]]]
In October 2010, Canada's [[Privacy Commissioner of Canada|Privacy Commissioner]] [[Jennifer Stoddart]] uncovered evidence that widespread privacy abuses had been occurring at [[Veterans Affairs Canada]].
Among the cases where privacy issues were investigated is that in which highly personal information of an outspoken critic of Veterans Affairs, including confidential medical and financial information, was included in briefing notes prepared for then-minister Greg Thompson.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/veterans-affairs-critics-confidential-medical-information-given-to-minister/article4389299/|title=Veterans Affairs critic's confidential medical information given to minister|work=The Globe and Mail|date=September 21, 2010|access-date=February 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/privacy-commissioner-finds-evidence-of-systemic-abuse-at-veterans-affairs/article4327364/|title=Privacy Commissioner finds evidence of systemic abuse at Veterans Affairs|work=The Globe and Mail|date=September 28, 2010|access-date=February 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/10/10/15646606.html|title=Vet alleges government tried to hospitalize him|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=October 10, 2010|access-date=June 22, 2014}}</ref>

===Provincial politics===
In 2018 Thompson ran provincially under the [[Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick|Progressive Conservatives]] in the riding of [[Saint Croix (electoral district)|Saint Croix]] and won. He served as [[Department of Intergovernmental Affairs (New Brunswick)|Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]] until his death in September 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/greg-thompson-death-1.5278834|title=Saint Croix MLA Greg Thompson remembered as gentleman of 'stubborn determination'|last=Jacques|first=Poitras|date=September 11, 2019|website=CBC|access-date=September 14, 2019}}</ref>

== Electoral record ==
{{CANelec/top|NB|2018|Saint Croix (electoral district)|Saint Croix|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|NB|PC|Greg Thompson|3,249|39.21|+0.02}}
{{CANelec|NB|Liberal|[[John Ames (politician)|John Ames]]|2,436|29.40|-12.34}}
{{CANelec|NB|PANB|Joyce Wright|1,466|17.69|+11.74}}
{{CANelec|NB|Green|Donna Linton|1,047|12.63|+6.27}}
{{CANelec|NB|NDP|Jan Underhill|89|1.07|-5.69}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|8,287|99.83}}
{{CANelec/total|Total rejected ballots|14|0.17|-0.15}}
{{CANelec/total|Turnout|8,301|66.19|+7.22}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible voters|12,176}}
{{CANelec/gain|NB|PC|Liberal|+6.18}}
{{end}}

{{2008 Canadian federal election/New Brunswick Southwest}}
{{2006 Canadian federal election/New Brunswick Southwest}}
{{2004 Canadian federal election/New Brunswick Southwest}}
{{2000 Canadian federal election/New Brunswick Southwest}}
{{1997 Canadian federal election/New Brunswick Southwest}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1993|Carleton—Charlotte|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|[[Harold Culbert]]|13,970|43.1|+1.5}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|Greg Thompson|12,157|40.6|-6.6}}
{{CANelec|CA|Reform|Greg Wyborn|3,827|11.8|}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Bill Barteau|1,016|3.1|-4.6}}
{{CANelec|CA|National|Richard Shelley|431|1.3|}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|32,401}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1988|Carleton—Charlotte|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|Greg Thompson|16,026|47.2|-14.6}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|[[Harold Culbert]]|14,116|41.6|+17.6}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Ben Kilfoil|2,596|7.7|-6.5}}
{{CANelec|CA|CoR|Robert Storr|1,183|3.5|}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|33,921}}
{{end}}

==See also==
*[[Veterans Affairs Canada]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=3260}}

{{Harper Ministry}}
{{Higgs Ministry}}
{{CA-Ministers of Veterans Affairs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Greg}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:People from St. Stephen, New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick MLAs]]
[[Category:St. Thomas University (New Brunswick) alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick]]
[[Category:Minister of veterans affairs of Canada]]