On November 20, 2015, Michael Cooper was appointed Official Opposition Deputy Justice Critic by Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose. Cooper was re-appointed to this role by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer as Deputy Shadow Minister. Following the 2019 federal election Cooper was appointed by Scheer as the Deputy Shadow Minister of Finance.
Physician-Assisted Dying
Ambrose also appointed Michael Vice-Chair of the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying. Cooper, along with the other Conservative MP’s on the committee authored a dissenting report from the majority committee report cautioning against advanced directives and opening physician-assisted dying to minors. On April 14, 2016, then Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould introduced Bill C-14, the government’s Physician-Assisted Dying Legislation in the House of Commons. Bill C-14 was assented June 17, 2016 and incorporated several of the recommendations from the Conservative MP’s dissenting report, including limiting physician-assisted dying to competent adults suffering from a physical illness and prohibiting advanced directives.
Wynn’s Law
Cooper sponsored in the House of Commons Bill S-217, known as Wynn’s Law, introduced by Senator Bob Runciman on February 3, 2016. Bill S-217 sought to amend the Criminal Code to make it mandatory for the criminal history 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. A similar Bill was introduced by Cooper’s predecessor, Brent Rathgeber, in June 2015. Bill S-217 passed the Senate in October 2016. When the Bill was debated at second reading in the House of Commons, Marco Mendicino, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice announced the Liberal government’s opposition to the Bill. Despite this, it passed second reading with the unanimous support of Conservative, NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Green MPs, plus 27 Liberal MPs. However, when Bill S-217 was studied at the Justice Committee, Liberal and NDP MPs on the Committee voted to recommend that the Bill not proceed. On June 14, 2017, the House of Commons voted not to proceed with Bill S-217 by a vote of 199 to 103.
On October 29, 2018, Cooper introduced Private Members’ Bill C-417, which sought to amend the jury secrecy rule section of the Criminal Code. The Bill would amend the section so that former jurors suffering from mental health issues arising from their jury service can disclose all aspects of the jury deliberation process with a medical professional. The jury secrecy rule prohibits former jurors from disclosing aspects of the jury deliberation process with anyone for life. The Bill would implement a recommendation of a report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights entitled: Improving Support for Jurors in Canada. Cooper’s Bill was seconded by NDP MP Murray Rankin. Cooper is the House of Commons sponsor of Bill S-207, introduced by Conservative Senator Pierre-Hughes Boisvenu in December 2019. This Bill is substantively similar to Cooper’s Bill C-417.
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.
2019 Statements to Justice Committee Reciting NZ Shooter's Manifesto
In May 2019, Cooper quoted from the manifesto of the man accused of the mass killings in Christchurch, New Zealand in an attempt to discredit the testimony of a Muslim justice committee witness. Cooper was removed from the justice committee by conservative leadership as a consequence. Committee members later removed specific parts of the remarks from the official committee record. During the 42nd Canadian Parliament, Cooper served as vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights but was removed by party leader Andrew Scheer after Cooper confronted a witness in a manner that was considered offensive and quoted from a news article an excerpt contained in the article of the Christchurch mosque shooter's manifesto during a hearing. Cooper would also face resurfacing allegations from comments made while in law school as a result of his comments in the standing committee. These allegations come from comments Cooper made about "goat herder cultures" when in a seminar about Canadian multiculturalism and Muslims.
2020 Conservative Party of Canada Leadership Race
Cooper endorsed Peter MacKay during the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada Leadership Race.
