Abbass was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the provincial assembly in the 1988 election, finishing third in the Halifax Citadel riding.[1] In the 1993 election, he defeated New Democrat Eileen O'Connell by 106 votes in the Halifax Chebucto riding.[2] He served in the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Labour,[3] Minister of Human Resources,[4] Minister of Justice and Attorney General.[5] Abbass resigned from cabinet on April 1, 1997, and announced he was not running in the next election.[6][7]
After politics
Abbass was named to the board of governors for Dalhousie University in 2006.[8]