[1] Following the Coalition's victory at the 1996 election, Troeth was appointed chair of the foreign affairs, defence and trade legislation committee.

[1] She was the first woman to hold a ministerial position within the agriculture portfolio,[5] and also served as chair of the parliamentary Liberal Party's regional and rural committee from 1996 to 2002.

She supported the Howard government's WorkChoices legislation, although the Australian Labor Party (ALP) minority on the committee issued a dissenting report.

In 2006 she was part of a bipartisan working group which succeeding in passing a private member's bill removing the power of the health minister to veto importation of the abortifacient RU-486, thereby increasing the accessibility of abortion.

[11] Troeth was "a vocal advocate for the humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers",[12] although she also spoke of "the necessity for strong border protection".

Troeth and fellow Liberal senator Sue Boyce subsequently crossed the floor to vote in favour of the scheme in December 2009.

[16][17] Troeth remained involved in the Liberal Party after leaving parliament and has advocated for the introduction of quotas for female candidates.