As one of the few NDP MPPs to represent a rural constituency in southern Ontario, North was appointed to Bob Rae's cabinet as Minister of Tourism and Recreation on October 1, 1990.
He resigned as tourism minister in November 1992 after allegations he had offered a government job to a woman with whom he was having an unconsummated affair.
[2] An investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police found no evidence of wrongdoing,[3] but North was not returned to cabinet by Rae.
North did not seek re-election in 1999, clearing the way for PC incumbent Bruce Smith to run (unsuccessfully) in the redistributed riding of Elgin—Middlesex—London.
[6] North resumed his old career as a contractor based in Port Stanley, Ontario[7] with one failed comeback attempt in 2011 as a PC nomination candidate for Elgin—Middlesex—London,[8] but lost to Jeff Yurek who went on to become elected.