He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba[1] from 1981 to 1986, initially as a New Democrat but subsequently as an independent.
[2] He first ran for the provincial legislature in the election of 1973 as a New Democrat, finishing second to Progressive Conservative Edward McGill in Brandon West.
McGill did not seek re-election in the provincial election of 1981, and Carroll was able to take the seat on his third try, defeating Tory candidate John Allen by about 400 votes.
Soon after, he announced his decision to leave the NDP (on August 19, 1982) and subsequently opposed the Pawley government's intentions to re-entrench French language services in provincial law.
He finished in fourth place, well behind victorious Progressive Conservative candidate Lee Clark.