Elected in 1973 as a Liberal Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, he was re-elected in 1977. In 1979, he was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament representing the riding of Winnipeg – Fort Garry, later Winnipeg South and was re-elected every term since that time until his retirement from federal politics in 2000.
During his tenure in Ottawa he served as Minister of Employment and Immigration, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Minister of Transport, Chairman of the Western Affairs Committee of Cabinet, and following a period as Official Opposition Critic in various capacities, he was appointed Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification. Since 1996, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
While travelling the world as Foreign Minister, he also searched for ways to promote Manitoba. He marketed the Port of Churchill, championed the Mid-Continent Trade Corridor, engaged the International Joint Commission to work with Manitoba and neighbouring states to reduce the kind of flooding experienced in Manitoba in 1997. He secured federal resources and support to host events like the Pan Am Games and the United Nations Conference on War Affected Children.
From his advocacy for his home province came the Core Area Initiative, the Winnipeg Development Agreement, the Forks-North Portage Partnership and the Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Program.
