Born in Musquodoboit Valley, Nova Scotia, Taylor was elected to Halifax County Council in 1991.[1] He was first elected provincially in a November 1993 by-election.[2][3] He was re-elected in the 1998,[4]1999,[5] and 2003 general elections.[6] In February 2006, Taylor was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Natural Resources.[7][8] Taylor was re-elected in the 2006 election,[9] and named Minister of Agriculture in a post-election cabinet shuffle.[10] In January 2009, Taylor was shuffled again, becoming Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.[11]
On May 5, 2009, Taylor announced he was not reoffering in the 2009 election.[1] At the time of his retirement he was the longest continuous serving Progressive Conservative MLA.[12]