Robert de Cotret

Jean Robert René de Cotret, PC (February 20, 1944 – July 9, 1999) was a Canadian economist and politician.

The Honourable Robert de Cotret PC
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Berthier-Montcalm
In office November 28, 1988 – October 25, 1993
Preceded by	Electoral District created
Succeeded by	Michel Bellehumeur
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Berthier—Maskinongé—Lanaudière
In office September 4, 1984 – November 28, 1988
Preceded by	Antonio Yanakis
Succeeded by	Electoral District eliminated (see Berthier—Montcalm, Champlain and Saint-Maurice from 1987 to 2003)
Senator for Ottawa, Ontario
In office June 5, 1979 – January 14, 1980 Resigned to run in 1980 General Election
Appointed by	Joe Clark
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Ottawa Centre
In office October 16, 1978 – May 22, 1979
Preceded by	Hugh Poulin
Succeeded by	John Leslie Evans
Secretary of State for Canada
In office 21 April 1991 – 3 January 1993
Preceded by	Gerry Weiner
Succeeded by	Monique Landry
Minister of the Environment
In office 23 May 1990 – 20 April 1991
Preceded by	Lucien Bouchard
Succeeded by	Jean Charest
President of the Treasury Board
In office 17 September 1984 – 26 August 1987
Preceded by	Herb Gray
Succeeded by	Don Mazankowski
Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce
In office 4 June 1979 – 2 March 1980
Preceded by	Jack Horner
Succeeded by	Herb Gray
Personal details
Born	(1944-02-20)February 20, 1944 Ottawa, Ontario
Died	July 9, 1999(1999-07-09) (aged 55)
Political party	Progressive Conservative

De Cotret was the President and CEO of the Conference Board of Canada from 1976 to 1978 before being elected to the House of Commons of Canada 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, de Cotret lost his seat. In need of French-Canadian Cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Joe Clark appointed de Cotret to the Senate of Canada 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. De 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 de Cotret to Cabinet as President of the Treasury Board. In 1987, de 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.

De Cotret retired from Cabinet in January 1993 and did not run in the 1993 election.

External links

• Robert de Cotret – Parliament of Canada biography
• Robert de Cotret fonds, Library and Archives Canada