Trevor de Cleene

Trevor Albert de Cleene (24 March 1933 – 22 April 2001) was a New Zealand politician and lawyer. After gaining experience as a councillor with Palmerston North City Council, he was elected to Parliament for the Labour Party in 1981. He was a strong supporter of Rogernomics and was a minister outside cabinet. He resigned his ministerial portfolios in 1988 when Roger Douglas was sacked by David Lange. For his remaining parliamentary career, he was a backbencher known as one of the Three Musketeers. Later, he was a founding member of ACT New Zealand and some years later joined the National Party to help oppose Winston Peters in Tauranga.

Early life De Cleene was born in Palmerston North on 24 March 1933; the first Palmerston North MP who was actually born in the city. His parents were poor and he was born during the Great Depression. He attended Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, then Palmerston North Boys' High School and left school in 1951. Helen Clark, the later Prime Minister, entered Parliament at the same time and the two became close friends.

De Cleene won the , called early by Robert Muldoon, with an increased majority over National's candidate, Colleen Singleton. as a useful doorstop.

He resigned from Cabinet in 1988 when Douglas was sacked by Lange. De Cleene, Douglas and Prebble were known as the Three Musketeers, and sat together in the remotest backbench seats. When de Cleene retired in 1990, he was replaced by Steve Maharey.

In 1990, de Cleene was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Medal, and in the 1991 New Year Honours he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for public services.

Post-parliamentary activity After leaving Parliament, de Cleene initially resumed his legal practice. He then moved to Tauranga again. He left the Labour Party and became a founding member of ACT New Zealand in 1993. In 1996, he then joined the National Party so that he could support Katherine O'Regan with the attempted unseating of Winston Peters from the Tauranga electorate. Clark said that:

Mr de Cleene would be remembered for his commitment to his beliefs along with his wit and irreverence. “Trevor was a marvellous parliamentary orator and held his own with the likes of David Lange and Sir Robert Muldoon. As a person Trevor lived life to the full. He grew up in a state house, went to university, worked as a lawyer, became an MP and a minister. He enjoyed many outside interests ranging from hunting and horse racing, to music and literature.”

While being political adversaries on opposite sides of the Parliamentary House, Muldoon was fond of him on a personal level.