Conservative candidate in Sudbury in the 1981 provincial election. He won that election, and served as a backbench supporter of Bill Davis's government. Gordon supported Larry Grossman at the Progressive Conservative Party's leadership convention of February 1985. Gordon was a cabinet minister in the short-lived government of Frank Miller, serving as Minister of Government Services from May 17 to June 26, 1985 until Miller's government was defeated by the Ontario Liberal Party sweep of David Peterson in the 1987 election. Gordon was defeated by Sterling Campbell in Sudbury. In 1991, Gordon ran again as mayor of Sudbury, and defeated incumbent mayor Peter Wong. He served as the city's mayor until 2000, when the city, the towns and the Regional Municipality of Sudbury were transitioned into the new city of Greater Sudbury through a transition board established by the Government of Ontario. He ran for mayor of the new amalgamated city in the 2000 municipal election, and won that election as well. Gordon's tenure as mayor of Sudbury was marked by efforts to diversify the city's mining-based economy. As the city's provincial representative in the early 1980s, he was also a key supporter of the Science North project, which has since become the city's and Northern Ontario's most successful tourist attraction. Gordon announced his retirement from politics in 2003. Mayor of City of Sudbury, 1976–1981 Fiscal Policy Gordon introduced zero-based budgeting, a back to basics form of analyzing municipal budgets. The city was fiscally constrained in the 1970s. He would later use this policy as mayor in the 1990s to maintain zero increases in taxes. Development and housing Gordon worked with city council to encourage the private sector and the provincial government including John Rhodes (Minister of Housing at the time) to expand the supply of housing in Sudbury which resulted in many new homes, apartment developments and housing for the socially disadvantaged. Re-greening of Sudbury Gordon supported and worked with municipal leaders such as Tom Davies, chair of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury, and other regional politicians in the creation of policies that established a successful re-greening effort that was eventually recognized by the United Nations for successful environmental land reclamation. Member of provincial parliament for Sudbury, 1981–1987 Northeast Cancer Centre (formerly Northeastern Regional Cancer Treatment Centre) In 1983, as parliamentary assistant to Minister of Health Larry Grossman, Gordon was able to secure a decision by the government to establish