He received an M.B.A. from York University in 1975, was a Corporate Controller for Heede International Ltd. in 1975–76, and served the Director of Finance for TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. from 1977 to 1983.
He was re-elected in the 1997 election, easily defeating Reformer Joe Peschisolido (who later became a Liberal MP) and PC candidate Dick Barr.
Szabo also led the opposition within the Liberal caucus with over 50 proposed amendments to a wide-ranging Reproductive Technologies bill cloning, stem cell research, animal-human hybrids etc, and was credited with modifying the final wording of the bill earning the support of the House for five of his key amendments.
In addition to the two works mentioned above, Szabo wrote four other monographs: Tragic Tolerance of Domestic Violence, The Child Poverty Solution, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - The Real Brain Drain and The Ethics and Science of Stem Cells.
Szabo was never appointed to cabinet, but he served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services from 2000 to 2003.
On 21 November 2006, Szabo was honoured as "The Hardest-Working" Member of Parliament at the First Annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards ceremony held at the National Gallery in Ottawa.
Sponsored by Macleans, l'Actualite and the Dominion Institute, the selection was based on an Ipsos-Reid survey of all 306 current Members of Parliament.
On 21 November 2007, Szabo was honoured with the same award for a second consecutive year at a ceremony held at the Chateau Frontenac Hotel in Ottawa.
In July 2009, in recognition of his career achievements and leadership contributions to the community, he was also elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.