Preceded by Antonio Yanakis Preceded by Lucien Bouchard Appointed by Joe Clark Name Robert Cotret | Preceded by Michael Cassidy Succeeded by Michel Bellehumeur Preceded by Gerry Weiner Resigned March 2, 1980 | |
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Preceded by Electoral District created Role Former Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce Died July 9, 1999, Ottawa, Canada Party Progressive Conservative Party of Canada Previous office Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce (1979–1980) | ||
The Federal Cabinet - 1984
Robert René de Cotret, PC (February 20, 1944 – July 9, 1999) was a Canadian politician.
Robert de Cotret was the President and CEO of The Conference Board of Canada from 1976-78 before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1978 by-election. He was elected as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Ottawa Centre, and was one of the few francophone MPs in the Tory caucus.
Despite the Tory victory in the 1979 general election, Robert de Cotret lost his seat. In need of French-Canadian Cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Joe Clark appointed de Cotret to the Canadian Senate and to Cabinet as Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce in Clark's minority government.
When the government was defeated in a motion of non-confidence, a new election was called for February 18, 1980. Cotret resigned his Senate seat in order to run for a seat in the House of Commons in the riding of Berthier—Maskinongé, but was defeated in the 1980 election along with the Clark government.
He ran again in the 1984 election, and was elected along with a Progressive Conservative majority government led by Brian Mulroney. Mulroney appointed Cotret to Cabinet as President of the Treasury Board. In 1987, Cotret became Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion, and reassumed the Treasury Board portfolio in 1989. In 1990, he became Minister of the Environment and then Secretary of State for Canada in 1991.
Robert de Cotret retired from Cabinet in January 1993 and did not run in the 1993 election.