Robert de Cotret

de Cotret, Robert-René

Robert-René de Cotret, politician (b at Ottawa, Ont 20 Feb 1944; d at Ottawa, Ont July 9, 1999). After an MBA at McGill and a doctorate in business economics at University of Michigan, de Cotret served as a staff member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers in the US, 1970-71, and as an adviser to the Department of Finance 1971-72. From 1972 to 1978 he was a director and then president of the CONFERENCE BOARD OF CANADA.

He was elected Conservative MP for Ottawa Centre in a 1978 by-election, immediately becoming a trusted economic adviser of Opposition leader Joe CLARK.

He was defeated in the 1979 election but was appointed senator so that he could serve in Clark's Cabinet as minister of industry, trade and commerce. He resigned from the Senate to run unsuccessfully in the 1980 election. He was VP of the National Bank of Canada to 1984, when he regained a seat in the Commons and became president of the Treasury Board in the MULRONEY Cabinet.

In 1987 de Cotret took over what was to become the new Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology and in 1990 was named minister of the environment. De Cotret announced his intention not to seek re-election in January 1993. From 1993 to 1994 he was Canadian Representative to the World Bank. He later joined the faculty of administration at the University of Ottawa as executive in residence and in 1998 became chairman of Bestrak Corp.