Ronald Thompson (15 November 1917 – 16 May 2006) was an Australian trade unionist and politician who was a member of the Legislative Council of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

from 1959 to 1980. He served as a minister in the government of

John Tonkin John Trezise Tonkin AC (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995), popularly known as "Honest John", was an Australian politician. A member of the Labor Party, he served as a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for a record 44 ...

. Thompson was born in

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

to Margaret Alice (née Mewburn) and Samuel Thompson. He left school at the age of 14, and subsequently worked as a

wool classer Wool classing is the production of uniform, predictable, low-risk lines of wool, carried out by examining the characteristics of the wool in its raw state and classing (grading) it accordingly. Wool classing is done by a wool classer. Basis for ...

at the Fremantle Woolstores. He was later employed as a shopkeeper and waterside worker, and held various positions in the local branch of the

Waterside Workers' Federation The Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia (WWF) was an Australian trade union that existed from 1902 to 1993. After a period of negotiations between other Australian maritime unions, it was federated in 1902 and first federally registered ...

(WWF). Thompson entered parliament at a 1959 Legislative Council by-election for West Province, caused by the death of Gilbert Fraser. He transferred to the new

South Metropolitan Province The South Metropolitan Province was a two-member electoral province of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in metropolitan Perth. It was one of several metropolitan seats created following the enactment of the ''Constitution Acts A ...

at the 1965 state election. After Labor's victory at the 1971 election, Thompson was appointed government

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

and deputy leader of the government in the Legislative Council.Ronald Thompson
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2016. In February 1973, when

Bill Willesee William Francis Willesee (26 December 1911 – 18 August 2000) was an Australian politician who served as a Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch), Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Council, Legislative Council ...

resigned due to ill health, Thompson was elevated to the ministry, becoming Minister for Community Welfare and Minister for Police. A few months later, he also replaced Don Taylor as Minister for Tourism, holding all three portfolios until the government's defeat at the 1974 election. He then became a member of the

Tonkin Shadow Ministry The Tonkin shadow ministry was a Shadow Cabinet led by the Opposition Leader and leader of the Labor Party, John Tonkin, in the Parliament of Western Australia. While serving no formal status—only the Leader and Deputy Leader received remunerat ...

. In 1977, Thompson was expelled from the Labor Party after publicly opposing its policy on homosexuality.LIBERAL PARTY POLICIES
Hansard (Legislative Council of Western Australia), 10 May 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2016. He sat as an independent until his term ended at the 1980 state election, and died in Perth in May 2006, aged 88. He had married Doris Violet Brams in 1943, with whom he had two children.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Ron 1917 births 2006 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia Trade unionists from Western Australia Australian waterside workers Independent members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council People from Fremantle