Struthers was first elected to the ManitobaLegislature in the 1995 provincial election as the member for Dauphin. He was re-elected as the MLA for the redistributed Dauphin-Roblin riding in 1999 and again in 2003. In his first term, he served as the NDP's Natural Resources Critic and Deputy Agriculture Critic. After the NDP formed government, Struthers served as the Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Health, the Honourable Dave Chomiak. Struthers was appointed Minister of Conservation in November 2003.