[3] Wappel won the Scarborough West Liberal nomination in 1988 in a surprising upset over Patrick Johnston, a star candidate who had been personally recruited by party leader John Turner.

[6] He won a narrow victory in the general election, defeating Progressive Conservative incumbent Reginald Stackhouse by 440 votes.

"[9] He also called for increased immigration to Canada and harsher penalties against drug traffickers, while opposing the Meech Lake Accord and "distinct society" status for Quebec.

[10] Wappel spoke against federal daycare programs during one all-candidates meeting, arguing that the Canadian government should promote stay-at-home parenting instead.

[13] During his nomination speech at the convention, Wappel called for abortion to be made a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

[18] Wappel was endorsed by the Canadian Police Association in the 1993 federal election, and focused his campaign on "law and order" issues.

[22] He remained active on law enforcement issues, introducing a private member's bill to create a national witness protection program and calling for tougher provisions under Canada's Young Offenders Act.

When parliament resumed, he introduced a private member's bill designed to prevent persons convicted of serious crimes (and their relatives and collaborators) from receiving any financial benefit resulting from artistic depictions of their acts.

[25] Wappel ran for Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada in 2001, seeking support from backbench Liberals and opposition members.

[26] He faced media scrutiny in May 2001, when he refused to help a blind, elderly veteran in his riding whom he suspected of having voted for a rival candidate in the previous election.

[32] He issued a report in June 2003 arguing that federal bureaucrats had "badly managed" the sockeye salmon fishery in British Columbia's Fraser River two years earlier.

Wappel remained one of the most vocal social conservatives in the Liberal caucus and was a prominent opponent of the Martin government's 2005 same-sex marriage legislation, which he described as "discriminatory, a sham, and a hoax".

[35] There was some speculation that Wappel would join fellow MP Pat O'Brien in leaving the Liberal caucus over the marriage bill, but he decided to remain in the party.

[37] He also renewed his call for abortion legislation, describing Canada as "the only western democracy that has absolutely no law whatsoever when it comes to protecting the unborn child".

[38] In February 2007, he was the only Liberal MP to vote for the extension of two controversial anti-terrorism measures that had first been passed by the Chrétien government in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The measures, which critics described as a threat to civil liberties, were defeated when the Bloc Québécois, New Democratic Party and most Liberals voted not to support their extension.

It was supported by the Alliance for Food Label Reform, and Wappel argued that it would help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer among consumers.