In his second term he was appointed to the cabinet and became Minister of Health and Social Services.

He was re-elected to his third and final term in the 1987 Northwest Territories general election.

His electoral district was abolished in 1991 after the Pine Point mine shutdown operations and the town was dismantled.

McLaughlin ran as the candidate in the electoral district of Western Arctic for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 2000 Canadian federal election.

McLaughlin previously served as the Territories representative on the Conservative Party of Canada national council.