He was a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1959 to 1965, representing the electorate of Lismore.
[1][2] In 1959, the state electorate of Lismore was considered highly safe for the conservative Country Party, and Labor had not contested the seat at the 1959 election.
Labor endorsed Compton for the by-election and directed a large amount of resources into the campaign, and amidst significant Country Party infighting, won the seat in a landslide.
[3][4] Compton was appointed to the ministry as Minister for Lands in 1961, and oversaw large amounts of infrastructure construction in the Lismore area, including new schools and a new hospital.
High unemployment and a struggling local economy saw growing disillusionment with Labor, and he was defeated by Country Party candidate Bruce Duncan, who subsequently held the seat for 23 years with little difficulty.