Member of The Legislative Assembly For Virden
Thompson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the June 1953 provincial election as the Progressive Conservative member for Virden. Despite the Liberal-Progressives winning a majority under Douglas L. Campbell, Thompson, with 57% of the vote, had defeated G.A. Mooney to become the first Tory to serve Virden since 1914. In joining the opposition benches Thompson soon established himself as one of the best speakers in the House. When Duff Roblin assumed the party leadership the following year Thompson was a key voice of the opposition attacks during the 1956 beer price debate, the oil lease scandal of 1957, and was a sharp critic on penal reform.
Read more about this topic: John Thompson (Manitoba Politician)
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