Liberal and NDP MPs are calling out Conservative MP Michael Cooper over what they described as a “shameful” and “completely unacceptable” comment he made to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly during a hearing on foreign interference.
Michael J. Cooper, Conservative MP represents the riding of St. Albert—Edmonton, Alberta.
“You’ve talked tough. You’ve talked tough with your Beijing counterpart, so you say. You even stared into his eyes, I’m sure he was very intimidated,” said Cooper in questioning Joly during a combative and intense meeting of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) on Thursday.
Responding, Joly said: “Well, Mr. Cooper, you would know China because you went to China as a parliamentarian in the past. And so therefore, I think you would understand that when we fall into too much partisanship, we’re falling into China’s trap.”
Cooper did not apologize before the meeting ended.
