Michel Côté (MP)
Michel Côté | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for Langelier | |
In office September 4, 1984 – October 1, 1988 | |
Preceded by | Gilles Lamontagne |
Succeeded by | Gilles Loiselle |
Personal details | |
Born | Quebec City, Quebec | September 13, 1942
Political party | Progressive Conservative |
Residence(s) | Quebec City, Quebec |
Profession | accountant, businessman |
Michel Côté, PC (born September 13, 1942) is a Canadian businessman and former politician.[1]
Côté, an accountant and part-owner of the Quebec Remparts junior hockey team prior to entering elected politics,[1] was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1984 Canadian federal election.[2] He represented the electoral district of Langelier as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
He was appointed to the
Early in his term, he announced that the government was planning reforms to Canadian
In 1985, he faced some criticism when the government increased its fees for trademark registration to cover the costs of computerizing the process.[11] In July of that year, he represented the government of Canada at the inauguration of Alan García as President of Peru, although the government later faced criticism for the cost of his trip.[12]
In August, he was given the title of Minister responsible for Canada Post Corporation alongside his existing position.[13]
Late in 1985, he promised to work with agriculture minister John Wise to introduce new provisions to help farmers facing bankruptcy,[14] and proposed reforms to federal lobbying regulation, which would have required lobbyists to disclose fees and clients to the government but did not include provisions for this information to be available to the public.[15]
Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion
In July 1986, Côté was shuffled from Consumer and Social Services to
In this role, he supported the 1986 bid by Marine Industries to take over Davie Shipbuilding.[18]
In summer 1987, the government announced a major reform of DRIE, converting it from a standalone ministry to a group of regionally-targeted government agencies, such as the
Minister of Supply and Services
Although the audit held that Côté was not responsible for the departmental mismanagement, Mulroney shuffled him later the same day from Regional Industrial Expansion to
He held the role until February 2, 1988, when he was dropped from cabinet after violating conflict of interest rules by failing to disclose that he had received a $250,000 personal loan from a government contractor.[26] Following his ouster from cabinet, it was revealed that he had also steered $400,000 in government legal work to his former campaign manager.[27]
He did not run for reelection in the 1988 Canadian federal election.[28]
References
- ^ a b "Cote: green Tory sprout growing up in tough job". The Globe and Mail, February 11, 1985.
- ^ "Cartier fete within budget, minister says". The Globe and Mail, October 10, 1984.
- ^ "Few surprises, but all regions represented: Mulroney appoints record Cabinet of 40". The Globe and Mail, September 18, 1984.
- ^ "Measure of choice: Metric still in force, but imperial allowed". The Globe and Mail, January 31, 1985.
- ^ "Merger laws". The Globe and Mail, May 8, 1985.
- Montreal Gazette, March 7, 1985.
- ^ "Ottawa proposes new bill to alter competition laws". The Globe and Mail, December 18, 1985.
- Montreal Gazette, October 7, 1985.
- Montreal Gazette, September 9, 1986.
- Montreal Gazette, December 18, 1985.
- ^ "Fee increases on trademarks 'staggering'". The Globe and Mail, May 15, 1985.
- Montreal Gazette, September 12, 1985.
- ^ "PM demotes Blais-Grenier and Murta". Toronto Star, August 20, 1985.
- ^ "Farm bankruptcy changes promised". Toronto Star, November 10, 1985.
- Montreal Gazette, November 2, 1985.
- ^ "Who's who in Prime Minister's cabinet". Toronto Star, July 1, 1986.
- ^ a b "Can 'French power' save Mulroney in Quebec?". Toronto Star, August 28, 1986.
- Montreal Gazette, October 6, 1986.
- ^ "Ontario's North to get regional industry agency". Toronto Star, July 12, 1987.
- ^ "$1.2 billion plan will aid West Mulroney says". Toronto Star, August 5, 1987.
- Montreal Gazette, August 27, 1987.
- Montreal Gazette, August 28, 1987.
- ^ Montreal Gazette, August 29, 1987.
- ^ "Bureaucrats the bunglers within DRIE, audit says". The Globe and Mail, August 28, 1987.
- ^ "PM replaces ex-ministers in mini-shuffle". Toronto Star, August 28, 1987.
- Montreal Gazette, February 3, 1988.
- Montreal Gazette, March 3, 1988.
- ^ "Fallen Cote says adieu". Windsor Star, August 23, 1988.