He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1991 provincial election, then won re-election in 1996. Under the ruling NDP, he served as government caucus chair from June 1996 to October 1997, then from March to November 2000. He also acted as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and Minister of Transportation and Highways.[4] Under PremierUjjal Dosanjh, Conroy served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and Minister Responsible for Rural Development between November 2000 and June 2001.[4][5]
He had two children with former partner Gwen Jones, then married Katrine Conroy (née Thor-Larsen) in 1981, with whom he had two more children.[3] Katrine Conroy is the current MLA for the redistributed district of Kootenay West; she has served in the provincial cabinets of Premiers John Horgan and David Eby.[6] He died at the age of 73 on June 26, 2020, from complications from surgery after sustaining a broken hip.[5][3]