Critics considered this to be excessive and some suggested that Alcock was micro-managing his department. Alcock also released a comprehensive proposal for reforming Canada's regulatory system in March 2005. He argued that his reforms would reduce delays for patent drug approval and avoid the duplication of existing foreign research without compromising safety standards. Critics of the plan suggested that it could jeopardize Canadian sovereignty and lead to the adoption of American regulatory standards. In February 2004, the "National Post" identified Alcock as a leading cabinet supporter of private-public partnerships. In early 2005, Alcock publicly criticized his government's position against the legalization of marijuana, saying, "If we actually wanted to break the back of organized crime, we would be better off to control it. When you have these things underground, what you end up fuelling is organized crime." Alcock was unexpectedly defeated in the 2006 federal election, losing to Conservative Rod Bruinooge by just 111 votes in Winnipeg South. He took personal responsibility for the loss and acknowledged that he did not spend enough time campaigning in his own riding. Alcock also said that being the government's point man for the sponsorship scandal did not help his electoral prospects, though he ultimately defended his government's actions. One of Alcock's final acts in office was to approve a payment of up to $40,000 to assist Jean Pelletier with legal fees in a court challenge against the Gomery Commission. Representatives of other parties criticized this payment, saying that the government should only cover legal costs for working civil servants. Pelletier's lawyer argued that it followed a long-standing government policy for high-ranking functionaries in judicial proceedings. In March 2006, Alcock announced that he would support Belinda Stronach if she entered the contest to succeed Paul Martin as Liberal leader. Stronach announced in early April that she would not be a candidate. Several of members of Alcock's political organization later worked for Ken Dryden's campaign, and Alcock himself endorsed Dryden at the leadership convention. Dryden dropped off after the second ballot and endorsed Bob Rae and then eventual winner Stéphane Dion. In January 2007, Alcock was appointed to the faculty of the University of Manitoba as an executive in residence at the I. H. Asper School of Business. He was also appointed as a research affiliate with the Leadership Network at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Alcock died on October 14, 2011, after suffering an apparent heart attack at James Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg. He was 63 years old.