In 1976, Roper was appointed Shadow Minister for Health, assuming the ministerial role in 1982 and moving to the Transport portfolio in 1985 and to Planning, Environment, Aboriginal and Consumer Affairs in 1987. In 1990 he was appointed Treasurer, serving until 1992. Following Labor's defeat at the 1992 state election, he became Shadow Minister for Health, Sport, Recreation, Racing and Gaming, but he stepped down from that role in 1993 and resigned from the Assembly in 1994. Following his retirement he was a member of the Australian Government Advisory Council on the Environment and Employment Opportunities from 1994 to 1996, a board member of Australian Hearing Services from 1995 to 2001, a board member of the Climate Institute in Washington, D.C. since 1994, and a board member of Greenfleet Australia since 2003.[2]
In 1971, his book The Myth of Equality was published. Its subject was "the gross disadvantages experienced by large numbers of students in both the public and private sector".[4]