He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1981 provincial election, defeating NDP candidate Fayne Bullen by about 3,500 votes in the riding of Simcoe East. He served as Deputy Whip of the PC party from 1983 to 1985, and was appointed a minister without portfolio and Chief Government Whip by Premier Frank Miller on February 8, 1985.\n', '

McLean\'s time as a cabinet minister was brief. He was re-elected over Fayne Bullen in the 1985 provincial election, but the Progressive Conservative Party was reduced to a fragile minority government provincially. He was re-appointed as a minister without portfolio responsible for Northern Affairs and Housing on May 17, 1985, but the Miller government was defeated in the legislature one month later and McLean moved with his party to the opposition benches.\n', '

McLean was one of only seventeen PC members re-elected in the 1987 provincial election, defeating Liberal Butch Orser by fewer than 1,000 votes. In the 1990 provincial election, he defeated NDP candidate Dennis Bailey by only 740 votes.\n', '

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