In September 1894 Fink was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as member for Jolimont and West Richmond, holding the seat for 10 years.
In his younger days Fink had done some writing for the press and in 1889 he became a director of the Herald and Sportsman Newspapers Co. Ltd, after being in some financial difficulty after the land boom collapse.
It was generally believed that Fink was an important factor in the great improvement that took place in the conduct of The Herald, and that he was largely responsible for the appointment of such excellent editors as Guy Innes and Sir Keith Murdoch.
In his earlier days he was well known as an excellent after-dinner speaker, and his witty speeches at social gatherings of artists and literary men were much appreciated.
Though he was also well known in the business life of Melbourne as a lawyer and a power in the newspaper world, comparatively few people realized the full value of his educational work.