[4] Mair first entered politics at the 11 June 1932 election, when he stood as the United Australia Party candidate for the local seat of Albury in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

[5] As the local member, Mair became interested in helping those affected by the Great Depression and fulfilled his election promise to give most of his parliamentary salary to the poor in his own electorate, a practice which he continued until 1938.

[6] Serving on the backbench, Mair was noted for being a strong supporter of Premier Bertram Stevens at a time when party discipline within the UAP was non-existent.

He served in this capacity for ten weeks until 1 June 1938, when he was promoted as the Minister for Labour and Industry, which had been vacated by the death of his predecessor, John Dunningham.

Despite serving only a brief time in this portfolio, Mair was largely successful, gaining a reputation as understanding and sympathetic to worker's views, leading to the resolution of several industrial disputes.

Upon taking office, Mair immediately proposed drastic cuts in expenditure to bring the budget back into balance, and to find new sources of taxation income.

All complied except Deputy Leader and Minister for Public Works and Local Government, Eric Spooner, who sought to undermine confidence in Stevens' leadership.

Furious at this gesture, Spooner resigned on 21 July 1939 as Minister and Deputy Leader, citing a 'disagreement in government policy on relief works' as the reason.

[13] Inheriting an increasingly dysfunctional government and a deteriorating financial situation, Mair moved swiftly to combat party disunity but re-establishing the backbench policy committees that had fallen into disuse under Stevens.

Other areas included amendments to the Landlord and Tenant Act, assistance for country racing clubs and the providing of health and safety measures in coal mines.

Among the appointments included Athol Richardson as Colonial Treasurer, Lewis Martin took up Spooner's former roles of Public Works and Local Government and the relatively new Vernon Treatt as Minister for Justice.

When Parliament returned in March 1940, the Opposition Leader, William McKell, moved a censure motion on the government, citing its ineffectiveness to act on unemployment and housing.

[17] Mair's choice in Justice Minister Vernon Treatt proved problematic when it was alleged that he had acted to reduce fines for certain companies that had sold low-quality bread to the Defence Department.

At the campaign for the 10 May 1941 election, Mair performed poorly, finding it difficult to distinguish himself from his predecessor and proposing policies but only promising action after the war.

Mair now became Leader of the Opposition for the shattered conservative parties on 19 May 1941 and, despite the electoral defeat, pledged his full support for the government in war matters.

[23] Serving on the Liberals' New South Wales executive from 1945 to 1946, when first party leader Weaver died suddenly on 12 November 1945, Mair was chosen to succeed him.

[26] Almost a quarter of a century after he left Parliament, Mair died on 3 August 1969 in his St Kilda home, survived by his wife, two sons and daughter.