 He first campaigned for the House of Commons in the 1980 federal election, and lost to Liberal incumbent Jesse Flis by 5,097 votes in Parkdale—High Park.He ran again in the 1984 election, and defeated Flis by 1,460 votes amid a landslide majority government victory for the Conservatives under Brian Mulroney.Witer was on the right-wing of the Progressive Conservative Party, and was part of a group in the party caucus informally known as the "brat pack" ("Toronto Star", 17 January 1987).