Andy Thompson (Canadian politician)

Andy Thompson
Senator
In office
1967–1998
Nominated byLester B. Pearson
Appointed byGeorges Vanier
Ontario MPP
In office
1959–1967
Preceded byDavid Kerr
Succeeded byDante De Monte
ConstituencyDovercourt
Ontario Liberal Party Leader
In office
1964–1966
Preceded byJohn Wintermeyer
Succeeded byRobert Nixon
Ontario Opposition Leader
In office
1964–1966
Preceded byFarquhar Oliver
Succeeded byRobert Nixon
Personal details
Born
Andrew Ernest Joseph Thompson

(1924-12-14)14 December 1924
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died3 February 2016(2016-02-03) (aged 91)
Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseAmy Riisna (m. 1959)
Children1
OccupationSocial worker
Military service
AllegianceCanadian
Branch/serviceRoyal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Years of service1943-1946
RankLieutenant

Andrew Ernest Joseph Thompson (14 December 1924 – 3 February 2016) was a Canadian politician. Thompson was leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and later served as a Senator. He was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the west-end Toronto Dovercourt electoral district in 1959. He was elected the Ontario Liberal Party's leader in 1964. His physical health began to fail in late 1966 forcing him to retire as the Liberal leader. He was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1967, forcing him to resign his provincial seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He attracted media attention in 1997 and 1998 for making few appearances in the Senate over the past decade. His health issues never really went away, and gave that as his explanation for his truancy. He became the first Senator ever stripped of his office staff, salary and expense account for truancy, in 1998. A month later he resigned in order to receive his pension.