He was the research and communications director for the New Democratic Party under Jack Layton until shortly after the 2006 federal election.
[2] Heath had earlier been communications director for Greenpeace, and was the NDP's candidate for Ottawa Centre in the 1997 federal election, placing second to the Liberal Party's Mac Harb.
Heath graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Journalism degree.
Following Ed Broadbent's announcement that he would not be running in the next federal election, Heath contested the NDP's nomination to succeed him in Ottawa Centre but was defeated at the June 22, 2005, nomination meeting by Paul Dewar.
In February 2007 his book was published, Dead Centre: Hope, Possibility, and Unity for Canadian Progressives.