Taylor was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly in 1981 as the Labor Party (ALP) member for Kalgoorlie.
[1] In 1986, he was appointed Minister for Health and also held the Aged Care, Lands and Consumer Affairs portfolios at various times.
[2] Labor was defeated at the 1993 state election and Taylor became Leader of the Opposition in February 1994 when Lawrence resigned to enter federal parliament.
In 1996 he resigned to contest the federal seat of Kalgoorlie against Labor rebel Graeme Campbell, who defeated him as an independent.
In 2000, Taylor announced his intention to leave the ALP over the treatment of former Labor politician Larry Graham.