Thompson's time in the Senate was relatively uneventful and he kept a low profile. So low, in fact, that his attendence in the Upper Chamber was the worst of any Senator in the 1990s attending only 12 times in seven years. Thompson claimed he was unable to attend Senate sessions due to illness while continuing to draw his salary. When it was discovered that he was, in fact, living comfortably in Mexico the Reform Party made Thompson's truancy a cause celebre (complete with Reform MPss dressing up as a Mariachi band and performing in the halls of Parliament to draw attention to the issue) and made Thompson into an example of why the Senate needed to be reformed. The resulting furor resulted in Thompson being expelled from the Liberal caucus on November 19 1997 and ultimately being forced to resign on March 23 1998, 20 months ahead of his scheduled retirement.