Andy Thompson (Canadian politician)
| Andy Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Senator | |
|
In office 1967–1998 |
|
| Nominated by | Lester B. Pearson |
| Appointed by | Georges Vanier |
| Ontario MPP | |
|
In office 1959–1967 |
|
| Preceded by | David Kerr |
| Succeeded by | Dante De Monte |
| Constituency | Dovercourt |
| 21st Ontario Liberal Party Leader | |
|
In office 1964–1966 |
|
| Preceded by | John Wintermeyer |
| Succeeded by | Robert Nixon |
| 19th Ontario Opposition Leader | |
|
In office 1964–1966 |
|
| Preceded by | Farquhar Oliver |
| Succeeded by | Robert Nixon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Andrew Ernest Joseph Thompson December 14, 1924 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Died | February 3, 2016 (aged 91) Canada |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Amy Riisna (m. 1959) |
| Children | 1 |
| Occupation | Social worker |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Canadian |
| Service/branch | Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| Years of service | 1943-1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
Andrew Ernest Joseph "Andy" Thompson (December 14, 1924 – February 3, 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.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he was educated at Monkton Combe School in England and Oakwood Collegiate in Toronto. He attended the University of Toronto from 1942 to 1943 until he joined the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II where he served aboard minesweepers. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant. He completed his education at Queen's University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947. He received a Master of Social Work from the University of British Columbia in 1949. He worked in the federal civil service and served as a special asssistant to federal Liberal leader Lester B. Pearson. In 1959, he married Amy Riisna whom he met at a Liberal conference in Couchiching. They lived in downtown Toronto on St. George Street and raised one daughter.
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