In 1983, she was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as part of the Social Credit Party, representing the provincial riding of Surrey.
She was reelected in 1986 in the newly created riding of Surrey-Newton and became a cabinet minister under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, serving in various portfolios.
When Vander Zalm resigned, on April 2, 1991, caucus selected her as interim leader over attorney general Russell Fraser by a vote of 21–17.
[2] At a Social Credit party convention in July 1991, she was formally elected leader of the Socreds in an upset, narrowly defeating the frontrunner Grace McCarthy.
The Socreds lost more than half of their popular vote from 1986 and were cut down to seven seats, falling to third place in the Legislative Assembly behind the NDP and Liberals.