Political Career
In 1955 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in the Monash and Higginbotham Provinces as a Liberal, where he served until 1970, when he transferred to the Legislative Assembly as MP for Malvern.
In 1958 Thompson was appointed Assistant Chief Secretary in the government of Henry Bolte, and held office continuously until 1982, making him the longest-serving minister in Victoria's history. Of all federal and state ministers in Australian history, only the South Australian Sir Thomas Playford IV and Queensland's Joh Bjelke-Petersen held ministerial office continuously for longer than Thompson. Lindsay Thompson served as Minister for Housing from 1961–1967, during which time many of Melbourne's controversial public housing towers were built. In 1967 he was appointed Minister for Education, and held this post until 1979, a record term. He presided over the major expansion of state education in Victoria during this period. In 1971 he became Deputy Premier.
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