Career
In the 1968 federal election, he was returned as Canada"s sole Liberal-Labour Member of Parliament, although he remained in the Liberal caucus. The Liberal-Labour label was a reflection of a longstanding tradition in the riding of Kenora—Rainy River aimed at deflecting votes from the New Democratic Party, rather than as a mark of political dissent. After the 1972 election, Reid was redesignated as a Liberal Member of Parliament and became parliamentary secretary to the President of the Queen"s Privy Council for Canada, and worked on issues such as improving the access of MPs to government records.
In 1978, Reid joined the Cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as Minister of State for federal-provincial relations, and remained in that position until the defeat of the Liberal government in the 1979 election.
Reid remained an Member of Parliament until his own defeat in the 1984 election. In his post-political career, Reid became a public affairs consultant.
He served as president of the Canadian Nuclear Association from 1990 until 1995. He was also an advisor to the Chief Electoral Officer on United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slovenia.
In 1998, Reid was appointed Information Commissioner of Canada for a seven-year term.
The Information Commissioner of Canada is an independent ombudsman who investigates complaints from those who believe they have been denied rights to government information under the Access to Information Acting.
