Michel Côté (born 13 September 1942) is a Canadian businessman and former politician."Cote: green Tory sprout growing up in tough job". The Globe and Mail, 11 February 1985.

Côté, an accountant and part-owner of the Quebec Remparts junior hockey team prior to entering elected politics, was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1984 Canadian federal election."Cartier fete within budget, minister says". The Globe and Mail, 10 October 1984. 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 cabinet of prime minister Brian Mulroney as Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs."Few surprises, but all regions represented: Mulroney appoints record Cabinet of 40". The Globe and Mail, 18 September 1984. In 1985 he announced a compromise on the still controversial process of metrication in Canada, retaining mandatory metrication in most domains but permitting small retailers to continue using the Imperial measurement system if they had not already finished investing in metric conversion."Measure of choice: Metric still in force, but imperial allowed". The Globe and Mail, 31 January 1985.

Early in his term, he announced that the government was planning reforms to Canadian combines"Merger laws". The Globe and Mail, 8 May 1985. and patent legislation relating to pharmaceutical drugs;"Ottawa to revamp procedure on patents". Montreal Gazette, 7 March 1985. he introduced revisions to the Combines Investigation Act in December 1985."Ottawa proposes new bill to alter competition laws". The Globe and Mail, 18 December 1985. Although he oversaw the departmental review of the Patent Act,"Minister willing to trade patent protection for jobs". Montreal Gazette, 7 October 1985. the government's proposed reforms to drug patents were not introduced to Parliament until after Côté was succeeded by Harvie André in 1986."Press on with reform". Montreal Gazette, 9 September 1986. His reforms to competition legislation included a significant increase to the fines the government could charge in cases of price fixing."Price-fixing law will raise fine to $5 million". Montreal Gazette, 18 December 1985.

In 1985, he faced some criticism when the government increased its fees for trademark registration to cover the costs of computerizing the process."Fee increases on trademarks 'staggering'". The Globe and Mail, 15 May 1985. 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."Minister's flight cost taxpayer $43,000". Montreal Gazette, 12 September 1985.

In August, he was given the additional title of Minister responsible for Canada Post Corporation."PM demotes Blais-Grenier and Murta". Toronto Star, 20 August 1985.

Late in 1985, he promised to work with agriculture minister John Wise to introduce new provisions to help farmers facing bankruptcy,"Farm bankruptcy changes promised". Toronto Star, 10 November 1985. 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."Ottawa may let registered lobbyists keep fees, clients under wraps: Cote". Montreal Gazette, 2 November 1985.

Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion

In July 1986, Côté was shuffled from Consumer and Social Services to Minister of Regional Industrial Expansion, although he retained the Canada Post role."Who's who in Prime Minister's cabinet". Toronto Star, 1 July 1986. His change of duties was part of what was billed as Mulroney's "French power" cabinet, in which ministers from Quebec held many of the most powerful roles;"Can 'French power' save Mulroney in Quebec?". Toronto Star, 28 August 1986. however, Côté's political and communication skills began to face some criticism at this time, with Robert McKenzie of the Toronto Star writing that Côté "still looks petrified on TV, glancing continually sideways as if seeking the nearest exit."

In this role, he supported the 1986 bid by Marine Industries to take over Davie Shipbuilding."Ottawa backs shipyard bid: Cote says". Montreal Gazette, 6 October 1986.

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 Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario"Ontario's North to get regional industry agency". Toronto Star, 12 July 1987. and Western Economic Diversification Canada,"$1.2 billion plan will aid West Mulroney says". Toronto Star, 5 August 1987. under the auspices of an expanded Ministry of Industry, Trade and Commerce."Merger of rival departments meant DRIE never had a chance". Montreal Gazette, 27 August 1987. On 28 August, an external audit into the ministry was released, which found that it was significantly overspending its budget;"Sloppy bookkeeping helped department blow budget: reports". Montreal Gazette, 28 August 1987. the report did not blame Côté, who had in fact commissioned the audit himself to independently review irregularities he had personally identified,"Cote should be fired for losing track of DRIE's spending, Broadbent says". Montreal Gazette, 29 August 1987. but stated that the problems of bureaucratic mismanagement and poor financial record keeping significantly predated his time as minister."Bureaucrats the bunglers within DRIE, audit says". The Globe and Mail, 28 August 1987.

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 Minister of Supply and Services."PM replaces ex-ministers in mini-shuffle". Toronto Star, 28 August 1987. Although the opposition New Democratic Party argued in the House of Commons that Côté should be fired from cabinet in light of the report, the criticism died down within a few days.

He held the role until 2 February 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."Mulroney fires Cote for loan conflict". Montreal Gazette, 3 February 1988. Following his ouster from cabinet, it was revealed that he had also steered $400,000 in government legal work to his former campaign manager."Cote steered $400,000 in government legal work to friend Sirois". Montreal Gazette, 3 March 1988.

He did not run for reelection in the 1988 Canadian federal election."Fallen Cote says adieu". Windsor Star, 23 August 1988.

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