[2] O'Donnell first attempted to enter provincial politics in the 1998 election, but lost to Liberal incumbent Clifford Huskilson by 309 votes.
[5] A judicial recount was held on August 17 resulting in a tie which was broken when the ridings returning officer picked O'Donnell's name from a box.
[9][10][11] The law ended the right to strike for health-care workers and gave cabinet the power to impose a wage settlement on nurses.
"[13] He was later replaced as head of the Community Services Committee, which the opposition Liberals said was a result of voting against the government.
[14][15] On February 17, 2003, O'Donnell announced that he would not reoffer as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the next election, but that he was considering seeking re-election as an independent.