| Honorific Prefix: | The Honourable |
| Nathan Cooper | |
| Order: | 14th |
| Office: | Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta |
| Term Start: | May 21, 2019 |
| 2Namedata: | Angela Pitt |
| Predecessor: | Bob Wanner |
| Office1: | Leader of the Opposition in Alberta |
| Deputy1: | Mike Ellis |
| Term Start1: | July 24, 2017 |
| Term End1: | October 30, 2017 |
| Predecessor1: | Brian Jean |
| Successor1: | Jason Nixon |
| Office2: | Leader of the United Conservative Party |
| Status2: | Interim |
| Deputy2: | Mike Ellis |
| Term Start2: | July 24, 2017 |
| Term End2: | October 30, 2017 |
| Successor2: | Jason Kenney |
| Office3: | Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills |
| Term Start3: | May 5, 2015 |
| Predecessor3: | Bruce Rowe |
| Birth Name: | Nathan Matthew Cooper |
| Birth Place: | York, Ontario, Canada |
| Residence: | Olds, Alberta, Canada |
| Party: | United Conservative |
| Otherparty: | Wildrose (until 2017) |
Nathan Matthew Cooper (born 1980) is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2015, 2019, and 2023 Alberta general elections to represent the electoral district of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills in the 29th, 30th, and 31st Alberta Legislatures. Cooper was a municipal councillor in Carstairs, Alberta prior to being elected to the Legislative Assembly. Cooper also served as Chief of Staff to the Wildrose Official Opposition caucus.[1] [2]
On July 24, 2017, Cooper was elected interim leader of the new United Conservative Party caucus, becoming the Leader of the Opposition in that process. On that same date, he and his interim leadership team nominally assumed the leaderships of the two parties that merged to form the UCP, the Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose. At the time, Alberta electoral law did not allow parties to formally merge. On 28 October 2017, Cooper's tenure as interim leader ended when former PC leader Jason Kenney was elected as the UCP's first full-time leader.
Cooper was first elected to serve as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on May 21, 2019.[3]
Cooper was elected Speaker of the House in the Alberta Legislature on May 21, 2019 and reelected to a second term on June 20, 2023.[3] [4]
He was nominated for reelection by Minister Nate Horner. Horner noted that Cooper that was "an absolute parliamentary and political nerd," and had done "a remarkable job" as Speaker of the 30th Legislature.
In 2021, Cooper signed a letter opposing restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Cooper was widely criticized for violating the Speaker's role of impartiality and impeding his ability to moderate debate. Former Speaker David Carter has suggested that Cooper should resign or be removed by a motion of non-confidence.[6]
He later apologized for violating the Speaker's traditional role of impartiality.[7] Former Speaker Robert Wanner stated that while he believed the apology was sincere, it did not go far enough to restore faith in his impartiality.