Michael Cooper

Biography

Michael J. Cooper MP is a Canadian politician, born on March 8, 1984. He was first elected in 2015, representing the riding of St. Albert—Edmonton in the House of Commons of Canada. He was re-elected in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, and currently serves as the Conservative Shadow Minister for Democratic Reform. Prior to his political career, Cooper worked as a civil litigator at a law firm in Edmonton. In addition to his political duties, he is also a lector at St. Albert Parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Albert Rotary Club, and St. Albert District Chamber of Commerce.

Cooper has held various important positions in the Canadian Parliament. On November 20, 2015, he was appointed Official Opposition Deputy Justice Critic by Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose. Cooper was later re-appointed to this role by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer as Deputy Shadow Minister. After the 2019 federal election, Cooper was appointed by Scheer as the Deputy Shadow Minister of Finance. He is currently a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, as well as the vice-chair of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).

Cooper contributed to the 2017 book “Turning Parliament Inside Out: Practical Ideas for Reforming Canada’s Democracy,” authoring a chapter on how to fix Question Period. Ambrose also appointed Cooper as vice-chair of the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying, where he and other Conservative MPs on the committee authored a dissenting report from the majority committee report cautioning against advance directives and opening physician-assisted dying to minors.

Cooper sponsored in the House of Commons Bill S-217, known as Wynn’s Law, which sought to amend the Criminal Code to make it mandatory for the criminal history of bail applicants to be presented at bail hearings. The Bill was introduced after Constable David Wynn was shot and killed and Auxiliary Constable David Bond was shot by Shawn Rehn at a St. Albert casino in January 2015. Rehn was on bail at the time, despite a lengthy criminal history. Cooper’s Bill S-217 passed the Senate in October 2016 but did not proceed to become law.

In October 2018, Cooper introduced Private Members’ Bill C-417, which sought to amend the jury secrecy rule section of the Criminal Code. The Bill passed the House of Commons unanimously on April 12, 2019, but died on the order paper when the 2019 federal election was called.

Cooper endorsed MP Erin O’Toole during the 2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race. O’Toole placed third behind MP Maxime Bernier and the winner MP Andrew Scheer.

During the 42nd Canadian Parliament, Cooper served as vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He gained notoriety in 2019 for reciting part of the manifesto of the New Zealand mosque shooter during a committee hearing on online hate speech. This incident received widespread criticism, and Cooper was subsequently removed from the committee by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.