Robert Coates (politician)

Canadian politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Carman Coates PC QC (March 10, 1928 – January 12, 2016) was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister.

Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney

Preceded byJean-Jacques Blais

Succeeded byErik Nielsen (acting)

Preceded byAzel Randolph Lusby

Quick facts Minister of National Defence, Prime Minister ...

The Honourable Robert Coates PC QC
Official 1984 portrait

Minister of National Defence
In office September 17, 1984 – February 12, 1985
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Jean-Jacques Blais
Succeeded by	Erik Nielsen (acting)
Member of Parliament for Cumberland Cumberland—Colchester North; (1968–1979) Cumberland—Colchester; (1979–1988)
In office June 10, 1957 – November 20, 1988
Preceded by	Azel Randolph Lusby
Succeeded by	Bill Casey

Personal details
Born	Robert Carman Coates (1928-03-10)March 10, 1928 Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	January 12, 2016(2016-01-12) (aged 87) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Party	Progressive Conservative
Spouse	Mary Blanche Wade (m. 1954)
Children	2
Alma mater	Mount Allison University (BA) Dalhousie Law School (LLB, LLD)
Profession	Author Barrister Lawyer

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Early life and education

Coates was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, the son of a cattle buyer.

In 1951 Coates received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Mount Allison University in nearby Sackville, New Brunswick. In 1954, Coates graduated from Dalhousie Law School in Halifax. Prior to his election, Coates was a lawyer and member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society.^[1]

Political career

Coates was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1957 election as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Cumberland, Nova Scotia. Coates was a backbencher during the John Diefenbaker and Joe Clark governments. He was appointed to the Cabinet of Brian Mulroney as Defence Minister following the Tory victory in the 1984 election.^[2]

Coates's main initiative was the re-introduction of separate uniforms for the naval, land and air branches of the military.^[3] Liberal Paul Hellyer had unified the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force into an integrated Canadian Forces with a single uniform in 1967. Hellyer had scrapped the traditional British style uniforms and ranks of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force. The new uniforms resembled those of the US air force.^[4]

Coates resigned from the Cabinet on February 12, 1985, after it emerged that he visited several strip clubs during a trip to West Germany in November 1984.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] Coates did not run in the 1988 election.^[9]^[10]

Death

Coates died in Halifax on January 12, 2016, after a short illness, at the age of 87.^[11]^[12]

Personal life

In 1954, Coates married Mary Blanche Wade of Perth Junction, New Brunswick. The couple had two children, David Wade and Jodi.

Archives

There is Robert C. Coates fonds at Library and Archives Canada.^[13]

Electoral record

More information Party, Candidate ...

v t e 1957 Canadian federal election: Cumberland
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Robert Coates	10,065	54.51	+6.26
	Liberal	Azel Randolph Lusby	8,398	45.49	–6.26
Total valid votes			18,463	99.39
Total rejected ballots			114	0.61	+0.03
Turnout			18,577	81.42	+9.18
Eligible voters/turnout			22,815
	Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing		+6.26
Source: Library of Parliament^[14]^[15]

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More information Party, Candidate ...

v t e 1958 Canadian federal election: Cumberland
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Robert Coates	11,379	60.19	+5.68
	Liberal	Azel Randolph Lusby	7,525	39.81	–5.68
Total valid votes			18,904	99.41
Total rejected ballots			113	0.59	–0.02
Turnout			19,017	83.82	+2.40
Eligible voters/turnout			22,688
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+5.68
Source: Library of Parliament^[16]^[17]

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More information Party, Candidate ...

v t e 1962 Canadian federal election: Cumberland
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Robert Coates	9,524	50.74	–9.46
	Liberal	H. Keith Russell	7,817	41.64	+1.84
	New Democratic	Carson Carlyle Spicer	1,265	6.74	–
	Social Credit	John Vincent Forbes	165	0.88	–
Total valid votes			18,771	99.09
Total rejected ballots			173	0.91	+0.32
Turnout			18,944	87.19	+3.37
Eligible voters/turnout			21,727
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		–3.81
Source: Library of Parliament^[18]^[19]

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More information Party, Candidate ...

v t e 1963 Canadian federal election: Cumberland
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Robert Coates	9,034	50.22	–0.52
	Liberal	H. Keith Russell	8,082	44.92	+3.28
	New Democratic	Carson Carlyle Spicer	874	4.86	–1.88
Total valid votes			17,990	99.51
Total rejected ballots			89	0.49	–0.42
Turnout			18,079	83.80	–3.39
Eligible voters/turnout			21,573
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+1.38
Source: Library of Parliament^[20]^[21]

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More information Party, Candidate ...

v t e 1965 Canadian federal election: Cumberland
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Robert Coates	9,560	53.18	+2.97
	Liberal	C. Elmer Bragg	7,088	39.43	–5.49
	New Democratic	Carson Carlyle Spicer	1,327	7.38	+2.52
Total valid votes			17,975	99.31
Total rejected ballots			125	0.69	+0.20
Turnout			18,100	86.94	+3.14
Eligible voters/turnout			20,818
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		–1.26
Source: Library of Parliament^[22]^[23]

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References

[1]
Janigan, Mary (February 25, 1985). "The man who would not fit". macleans.ca. MacLeans. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
[2]
"40-member Cabinet includes 23 first-time ministers". The Globe and Mail. September 18, 1984.
[3]
"Coates makes first moves to change forces' uniforms". The Globe and Mail. September 21, 1984.
[4]
Morton, Desmond A Military History of Canada, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1999 page 252
[5]
Miller, Robert (February 25, 1985). "The downfall of a minister". macleans.ca. MacLeans. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
[6]
Morton, Desmond A Military History of Canada, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1999 page 265
[7]
"Coates resigns over nightclub visit". The Globe and Mail. February 13, 1985.
[8]
Wren, Christopher S. (February 13, 1985). "Canadian Defense Minister resigns in a scandal". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
[9]
"Coates touted for Senate seat after deciding to resign as MP". The Globe and Mail. September 20, 1988.
[10]
"Conservative Coates feted by colleagues". Amherst Daily News. March 26, 2012. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
[11]
Cole, Darrell (January 13, 2016). "Mourning a people's politician". Amherst News Citizen-Record. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
[12]
"Former MP Robert Coates dies at 87". The Chronicle Herald. January 12, 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
[13]
"Robert C. Coates fonds, Library and Archives Canada". 25 November 2016. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
[14]
Canada, Library of Parliament (2026). "Elections and Ridings: Cumberland, Nova Scotia (1957)". lop.parl.ca.
[15]
Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (1957). Twenty-Third General Election, 1957: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. hdl:2027/mdp.39015061584382.
[16]
Canada, Library of Parliament (2026). "Elections and Ridings: Cumberland, Nova Scotia (1958)". lop.parl.ca.
[17]
Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (1958). Twenty-Fourth General Election, 1958: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer.
[18]
Canada, Library of Parliament (2026). "Elections and Ridings: Cumberland, Nova Scotia (1962)". lop.parl.ca.
[19]
Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (1962). Twenty-Fifth General Election, 1962: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. hdl:2027/uc1.a0004484481.
[20]
Canada, Library of Parliament (2026). "Elections and Ridings: Cumberland, Nova Scotia (1963)". lop.parl.ca.
[21]
Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (1963). Twenty-Sixth General Election, 1963: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. hdl:2027/umn.31951d013775837.
[22]
Canada, Library of Parliament (2026). "Elections and Ridings: Cumberland, Nova Scotia (1965)". lop.parl.ca.
[23]
Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (1965). Twenty-Seventh General Election, 1965: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer (Report). Ottawa: Queen's Printer. hdl:2027/umn.31951d013775845.

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