Flis was also a founding director of Operation Go Home (Toronto Branch), and is the recipient of a Gold Award from the Canadian Polish Congress.

The Progressive Conservatives under Joe Clark won a minority government in this election, and Flis served as a member of the Official Opposition in the parliament which followed.

Flis was re-elected over Progressive Conservative candidate Andrew Witer by 5,097 votes, as the Liberals won a majority government under Pierre-Elliott Trudeau.

He served as Coordinator of Special Education for Toronto's Secondary Schools between 1984 and 1988, and defeated Witer by 3,196 votes in the 1988 election to return as a parliamentarian.

The significance of the oath to each Member is a matter of conscience and so it must remain.”[2] The Liberals returned to power in the 1993 election after nine years in opposition, and Flis was re-elected by a landslide in Parkdale—High Park.