[2] In the 1993 election, Burton stood as the Labour Party's candidate for Tongariro, an electorate in the central North Island, defeating Ian Peters.

In late 2004, with Jonathan Hunt set to retire from politics, Burton was regarded by many as the Labour Party's preferred choice to replace him as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Burton sponsored the introduction of the Electoral Finance Act, which made election funding more transparent and open by making anonymous donations illegal if they exceed the sum of $12,000.

In November 2007 Burton resigned from his Cabinet positions during Prime Minister Helen Clark's portfolio renewal.

[3] He then lost his seat in a nationwide swing to the National Party, and due to his place on the list, was not returned to parliament.