 Griffiths' first contact with politics came in the early 1980s, when he worked in the office of former New South Wales Premier, Neville Wran, before being elected to the Federal seat of Maribyrnong in 1983.Entering the parliament in 1983, Griffiths became the Minister for Resources in 1990, the Minister for Tourism in 1991 and the Minister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development in 1993.It was reported that in just two years in the Resources portfolio, Griffiths "pushed through reforms in a staggering number of areas.