Gregory Francis Thompson, PC (born March 28, 1947 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick) is a Canadian politician who served six terms as an MP.
| The Honourable Gregory Francis Thompson PC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest | |
|
In office June 2, 1997 – May 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | new riding |
| Succeeded by | John Williamson |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Carleton—Charlotte | |
|
In office 1988–1993 | |
| Preceded by | Fred McCain |
| Succeeded by | Harold Culbert |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 28, 1947 St. Stephen, New Brunswick |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Other political affiliations | Progressive Conservative (1988–2003) |
| Spouse(s) | Linda Thompson |
| Children | Gregory Thompson Jr., Christian Thompson |
| Residence | Bayside |
| Profession | Teacher, financial planner |
| Portfolio | Minister of Veterans Affairs |
Thompson, a high school teacher, a businessman and financial planner was first elected into the House of Commons of Canada in the Canadian federal election, 1988 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 Canadian federal election, 1993 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 next election and was re-elected in the riding of Charlotte, where he defeated Culbert. Thompson was re-elected in the Canadian federal election, 2000 in the riding of New Brunswick Southwest and again the Canadian federal election, 2004 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 federal election. In the 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 in Stephen Harper's 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.
He was formerly a high school history teacher at Fundy High School from 1975-1980.
He 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 federal election.
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Veterans Affairs privacy issues
In October 2010, Canada's 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.[5][6][7]