He was re-elected in the 1997 election and was named Solicitor General of Canada. In 1998, New Democratic Party MP Dick Proctor said he overheard Scott on an airplane talking about several sensitive national matters, including the then-ongoing Vancouver Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) inquiry. Scott was alleged to have stated that several Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers (who had used pepper spray against protesters) would take the blame at the end of it all. He denied prejudging the outcome, but later resigned his post as Solicitor General.