[2] Before entering politics, he worked for the Ministry of Social Development from 1975 to 1976 before becoming a bus driver for the Wellington City Council in 1976.

In 1987 he became a research officer for the New Zealand Federation of Labour (later Council of Trade Unions) until 1990 when he was elected to parliament.

[2] At the 1986 local elections he stood for the Wellington Regional Council on the Labour Party ticket.

He won Rimutaka in 1996[4] and held the seat until the 2008 election, which he did not contest, retiring from national politics.

[14] In 2009, he was employed by the Crown as their lead negotiator for a settlement of historical grievances with Ngāti Porou.