▁election ▁was ▁un success ful ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁defeated ▁by ▁Harold ▁C ul bert ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁of ▁Canada ▁by ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁ ▁Thompson ▁however ▁ran ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁election ▁and ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁the ▁r iding ▁of ▁Charlotte , ▁where ▁he ▁defeated ▁C ul bert . ▁Thompson ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Canadian ▁federal ▁election ▁in ▁the ▁r iding ▁of ▁New ▁Brun sw ick ▁South west ▁and ▁again ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Canadian ▁federal ▁election ▁in ▁the ▁r iding ▁of ▁St . ▁Cro ix — B elle is le . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁election , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁new ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁of ▁Canada . ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁federal ▁election . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁federal ▁election ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁for ▁a ▁sixth ▁term ▁in ▁the ▁r iding ▁of ▁New ▁Brun sw ick ▁South west ▁by ▁gar ner ing ▁over ▁ 5 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁parliament , ▁he ▁has ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁critic ▁of ▁Human ▁Resources ▁Development , ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁Board , ▁Regional ▁Development , ▁Health , ▁and ▁Public ▁Account s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁critic ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Canada ▁O pport un ities ▁Agency . ▁On ▁February ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Minister