[6] After receiving a teaching diploma from the Ontario College of Education that same year, he taught at Western Tech in Toronto.

[8][9] Critical of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Waddell moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he articled at McTaggart, Ellis and Company.

[9][10] He went on to be counsel to Justice Tom Berger's landmark Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry (1974–1977),[3][9][11] before becoming partner at DeCario & Waddell.

He won the seat with 45% of the vote, beating incumbent Liberal candidate Simma Holt, and was re-elected Member of Parliament (MP) for that riding in the 1980 and 1984 federal elections.

[14] With the dissolution of Vancouver Kingsway, Waddell instead contested the newly established riding of Port Moody—Coquitlam in the 1988 federal election.

[1] Following the resignation of Ed Broadbent as federal NDP leader in 1989, Waddell joined in the leadership race;[16][17] he placed sixth in the first ballot before withdrawing.

[20] In the 2004 federal election, Waddell ran for re-election to Parliament in the reconstituted district of Vancouver Kingsway, losing to Liberal candidate David Emerson.