[4] When Maxwell stood for Parliament in the Waitakere electorate in 1978 for the Labour Party, he was successful.
[6] In the 1990 election, he was defeated by Marie Hasler, one of a number of losses contributing to the fall of the Fourth Labour Government.
[6] Maxwell moved from West Auckland to Otumoetai after he left parliament.
[1] He then moved to Paerata near Pukekohe where he worked in real estate.
[10] In the 1995 New Year Honours, Maxwell was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for public services.