Wiktionary
n. (alternative form of Leader of the Opposition English)
Wikipedia
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government. The Leader of the Opposition is seen as the alternative Prime Minister, Premier or Chief Minister to the incumbent and heads a rival alternative government known as the Shadow Cabinet or Opposition Front Bench.
In many Commonwealth realms the full title is Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready to form a government himself should the Prime Minister lose the confidence of the Parliament.
The Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (more commonly known as the Leader of the Opposition) is the politician who leads the official opposition in the United Kingdom. The Leader of the Opposition by convention leads the largest party not within the government: where one party wins outright this is the party leader of the second largest political party in the House of Commons. The current Leader of the Opposition is Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, who was elected to the leadership of the Labour Party on 12 September 2015.
The Leader of the Opposition is normally viewed as an alternative prime minister, and is appointed to the Privy Council. They lead an Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet which scrutinises the actions of the Cabinet led by the prime minister, as well as offer alternative policies.
There is also a Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords (currently The Baroness Smith of Basildon). In the nineteenth century party affiliations were generally less fixed and leaders in the two Houses were often of equal status. A single, clear Leader of the Opposition was only definitively settled if the opposition leader in Commons or Lords was the outgoing prime minister. However, since the Parliament Act 1911 (which proceeded the last prime minister in the House of Lords, The Marquess of Salisbury in 1902) there has been no dispute that the leader in the House of Commons is pre-eminent and holds the main title.
The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to a salary in addition to their salary as a Member of Parliament. In 2010, this additional entitlement was available up to £73,617.
The Leader of the Opposition is the politician who leads the official opposition in either House of the Parliament of India.
While the position also existed in the former Central Legislative Assembly of British India, and holders of it there included Motilal Nehru, it received statutory recognition through the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 which defines the term "Leader of the Opposition" as that member of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha who, for the time being, is the Leader of that House of the Party in Opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength and recognised, as such, by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. However, in order to get formal recognition, the concerned party must have at least 10% of the total strength of the House (55 seats in the Lok Sabha). If any party fails to get 10% seats in opposition, the House will not have recognised leader of the opposition. A single party has to meet the 10% seat criteria, not an alliance.
This is the most accepted or most spoken rule of appointing this post but when we refer to "Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977" by which the post has got official and statutory status, the majority required is decided by the head of the houses, that is speaker and chairman as the case maybe.Refer to definition of Leader of Opposition in the act.
The Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, clause 4, provides for the leader of the largest opposition party to be inducted as a member of the selection committee in a scenario where the lower house of parliament does not have a recognised leader of the opposition.
The Leader of the Opposition in Ontario is usually leader of the largest party in the Ontario legislature which is not the government. The current official opposition is formed by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party; Patrick Brown is the current Leader of the Opposition.
Ontario's first Leader of the Opposition was Edward Blake of the Ontario Liberal Party who held the position from 1869 until 1871 when he became Premier of Ontario ( Archibald McKellar had previously led the Liberal Party in the legislature for two years, but was not formally recognized as opposition leader).
- Archibald McKellar (Liberal) 1867-1869 was not formally recognized as opposition leader, but led the Liberal Party in the legislature.
Leader
Party
Took office
Left office 1.
Edward Blake
Liberal
December 1869
December 1871 2.
Matthew Crooks Cameron
rowspan=4| Conservative
December 1871
1878 3.
William Ralph Meredith
October 1878
October 1894 4.
George Marter
October 1894
April 1896 5.
James Whitney
April 1896
January 1905 6.
George William Ross
rowspan=8| Liberal
February 1905
January 1907 7.
George Graham
January 1907
August 1907 8.
Alexander Grant MacKay
August 1907
1911 9.
Newton Wesley Rowell
December 1911
1917 10.
William Proudfoot
February 1918
October 1919 11.
Hartley Dewart
1919
October 1921 12.
Wellington Hay
March 1922
June 1923 13.
William Sinclair
August 1923
June 1934 14.
George Henry
Conservative
July 1935
December 1938 15.
George Drew
Conservative/Progressive Conservative
1939
1943 16.
Ted Jolliffe
CCF
August 1943
June 1945 17.
Farquhar Oliver
Liberal
July 1945
June 1948 -
Ted Jolliffe (second time)
CCF
July 1948
November 1951 -
Farquhar Oliver (second time)
rowspan=5| Liberal
1951
April 1958 18.
John Wintermeyer
April 1958
August 1963 -
Farquhar Oliver (third time)
October 1963
September 1964 19.
Andy Thompson
September 1964
November 1966 20.
Robert Nixon
February 1967
September 18, 1975 21.
Stephen Lewis
NDP
October 28, 1975
April 29, 1977 22.
Stuart Smith
rowspan=3| Liberal
June 1977
September 1981 -
Robert Nixon (second time)
January 25, 1982
February 21, 1982 23.
David Peterson
February 1982
June 1985 24.
Frank Miller
rowspan=2| Progressive Conservative
1985
1985 25.
Larry Grossman
1985
1987 26.
Bob Rae
NDP
1987
1990 -
Robert Nixon (third time)
rowspan=5| Liberal
November 20, 1990
July 31, 1991 27.
Murray Elston
1991
1991 28.
Jim Bradley
1991
1992 29.
Lyn McLeod
1992
1996 30.
Dalton McGuinty
1996
2003 31.
Ernie Eves
rowspan=7| Progressive Conservative
2003
2004 32.
Bob Runciman
2004
2005 33.
John Tory
2005
2007 -
Bob Runciman (second time)
2007
2009 34.
Tim Hudak
2009
2014 35.
Jim Wilson
2014
2015 36.
Patrick Brown
2015
The Liberals were recognized as the Official Opposition following the 1923 election by the governing Conservatives, despite the fact that the United Farmers of Ontario had more seats. According to historian Peter Oliver, this was an arbitrary decision without basis in precedent or law. Conservative Premier G. Howard Ferguson used as justification an announcement by UFO general secretary James J. Morrison that the UFO would be withdrawing from party politics, though Oliver argues that this was facetious logic. UFO parliamentary leader Manning Doherty protested the decision, but to no avail. (source: Peter Oliver, G. Howard Ferguson: Ontario Tory, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1977), p. 158.)
From 1930, the Liberal Party was led by Mitchell Hepburn, but Sinclair continued as Leader of the Opposition as Hepburn did not seek a seat in the legislature until the 1934 general election which made him Premier.
Until 1954, the Liberals were led from outside the legislature by Walter Thomson with Oliver as acting Leader of the Opposition. Oliver led the party in his own right (for a second time) from 1954 until 1958.
Interim Leader of the Opposition following the personal defeat of Wintermeyer in the 1963 provincial election until Thompson's election as leader.
Interim leader of the party and Opposition following the resignation of Stuart Smith.
Interim leader of the party and Opposition following the personal defeat of Premier David Peterson in the 1990 election.
Elston became interim leader when Nixon resigned from the legislature to accept a federal appointment. Elston stepped down in November when he decided to be a candidate at the Liberal leadership convention.
Interim leader between resignation of Elston and election of McLeod.
John Tory was chosen as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party on September 18, 2004, but did not hold a seat in the legislature. On September 28 the party announced that Bob Runciman would act as interim Leader of the Opposition until Tory entered the legislature. Tory was elected to represent Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey on March 17, 2005 and was sworn in as an MPP and leader of the opposition on March 29, 2005.
As Ontario PC leader John Tory did not win a seat in the 2007 election, he appointed Runciman as interim Leader of the Opposition. (Tory had been running in the Don Valley West riding.) After spending more than a year outside the legislature, Tory sought a seat in the March 5, 2009 by-election in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock. He lost this by-election, and thereafter resigned as party leader, being replaced by Hudak.
Wilson served as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative party following the resignation of Tim Hudak and continued to serve as Leader of the Opposition after Patrick Brown became party leader on May 9, 2015, until September when Brown won a seat in the legislature through a by-election.
The Leader of the Opposition of the Australian Capital Territory, is an official role usually occupied by the leader of the second largest party or coalition in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. The title is conferred under Standing Order 5A of the ACT Legislative Assembly, that the Leader of the Opposition shall be the leader of the largest non-Government party, with the consent of that member. In the event of an equal number of members of the second largest party, the Assembly shall vote and elect a Leader of the Opposition.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government.
The Leader of the Opposition is often seen as the alternative Premier to the present incumbent, and heads a rival alternative government known as the Shadow Cabinet or Opposition Front Bench.
The Leader of the Opposition of Belize is an elected official who, according to the Constitution, "commands the support of those elected officials that do not support the Government." He or she speaks on behalf of the Opposition Members of Belize's House of Representatives.
The Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition of the Northern Territory is an official role usually occupied by the leader of the second largest party in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. In the event that that party or coalition wins an election, the Leader of the Opposition will most likely become the Chief Minister.
While the Legislative Assembly was created in 1974, there was no parliamentary opposition for the first three-year term, as every seat was held by the government, with the exception of two that were won by independents.
#
Opposition Leader
Party
Dates in Opposition
1
Jon Isaacs
ALP
21 September 1977 – 1 November 1981
2
Bob Collins
ALP
2 November 1981 – 18 August 1986
3
Terry Smith
ALP
19 August 1986 – 1 November 1990
4
Brian Ede
ALP
2 November 1990 – 9 April 1996
5
Maggie Hickey
ALP
16 April 1996 – 2 February 1999
6
Clare Martin
ALP
3 February 1999 – 26 August 2001
7
Denis Burke
CLP
28 August 2001 – 14 November 2003
8
Terry Mills
CLP
15 November 2003 – 4 February 2005
(7)
Denis Burke
CLP
7 February 2005 – 17 June 2005
9
Jodeen Carney
CLP
29 June 2005 – 28 January 2008
(8)
Terry Mills
CLP
29 January 2008 – 29 August 2012
10
Delia Lawrie
ALP
29 August 2012 – 20 April 2015
11
Michael Gunner
ALP
20 April 2015 – present
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly.
#
Leader
Party
Took Office
Left Office
1.
James Alexander MacDonald
Liberal
1903
1909 2.
Harlan Carey Brewster
Liberal
1911
1912 –
Harlan Carey Brewster
Liberal
1916
1916 3.
William John Bowser
Conservative
1916
1924 –
Robert Henry Pooley unofficial
Conservative
1924
1928 4.
Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
Liberal
1929
1933 5.
Robert Connell
CCF
1933
1936 ...
Robert Connell
Social Reconstructive
1936
1937 6.
Frank Porter Patterson
Conservative
1937
1938 7.
Royal Lethington Maitland
Conservative
1938
1941 8.
Harold Winch
CCF
1941
1952 9.
Herbert Anscomb
Progressive Conservative
1952
1952 –
Harold Winch
CCF
1952
1953 10.
Arnold Webster
CCF
1953
1956 11.
Robert Strachan
CCF
1956
1961 –
Robert Strachan
NDP
1961
1969 12.
Thomas Berger
NDP
1969
1969 13.
Dave Barrett
NDP
1969
1972 14.
W.A.C. Bennett
Social Credit
1972
1973 15.
William R. Bennett
Social Credit
1973
1975 16.
William Stewart King
NDP
1975
1976 –
Dave Barrett
NDP
1976
1984
17.
Robert Skelly
NDP
1984
1987 18.
Michael Harcourt
NDP
1987
1991 19.
Gordon Wilson
Liberal
1991
1993 20.
Fred Gingell
Liberal
1993
1994 21.
Gordon Campbell
Liberal
1994
2001 22.
Joy MacPhail
NDP
2001
2005 23.
Carole James
NDP
2005
2011 24.
Dawn Black
NDP
2011
2011 25.
Adrian Dix
NDP
2011
2014 26.
John Horgan
NDP
2014
present
A list of parliamentary opposition leaders in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada, from 1870 to the present.
William Alexander Macdonald was the first officially recognized Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba although Rodmond Roblin is considered to have been the de facto opposition leader from 1890 until he lost his seat in the 1892 provincial election.
Note: This list is incomplete; there are gaps between some leaders.
{| class="wikitable" |- ! !! Name !! Party !! Took Office !! Left Office | William Alexander Macdonald | Conservative |1892 |1893 | John Andrew Davidson | Conservative |1893 |1894 | James Fisher |Independent |1894 |1896 . | Rodmond Palen Roblin | Conservative |1896 |1900 | Thomas Greenway | Liberal |1900 |1904 | Charles Mickle | Liberal |1904 |1906 | Charles Mickle | Liberal |1908 |1909 | Tobias C. Norris | Liberal |1910 |1915 | Albert Prefontaine | Conservative |1915 |1920 |Unknown | Conservative |1920 |1922 | Tobias C. Norris | Liberal |1922 |1927 | Fawcett G. Taylor | Conservative |1927 |1933 | William Sanford Evans | Conservative |1933 |1936 | Errick Willis | Conservative |1936 |1940 | Lewis St. George Stubbs |Independent |1940 |1941 | Huntly Ketchen | Anti-Coalition Conservative |1941 |1943 | Seymour J. Farmer | CCF |1943 |1947 | Edwin Hansford | CCF |1948 |1950 | Errick Willis | Progressive Conservative |1950 |1954 | Dufferin Roblin | Progressive Conservative |1954 |1958 | Douglas Lloyd Campbell | Liberal |1958 |1961 | Gildas Molgat | Liberal |1961 |1969 | Walter Weir | Progressive Conservative |1969 |1971 | Sidney Spivak | Progressive Conservative |1971 |1975 | Donald Craik | Progressive Conservative |1975 |1976 | Sterling Lyon | Progressive Conservative |1976 |1977 | Edward Schreyer | NDP |1977 |1979 | Howard Pawley | NDP |1979 |1981 | Sterling Lyon | Progressive Conservative |1981 |1983 | Gary Filmon | Progressive Conservative |1983 |1988 | Sharon Carstairs | Liberal |1988 |1990 | Gary Doer | NDP |1990 |1999 | Gary Filmon | Progressive Conservative |1999 |2000 | Bonnie Mitchelson | Progressive Conservative |2000 |2000 | Stuart Murray | Progressive Conservative |2000 |2006 | Hugh McFadyen | Progressive Conservative |2006 |2012 | Brian Pallister | Progressive Conservative |2012 |2016 | Flor Marcelino | NDP |2016 |present |}
The Leader of the Opposition in Nova Scotia is the MLA in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly. Jamie Baillie, the current leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia, is the current leader of the opposition.
The Leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka is the politician who leads the main opposition party. This is the leader of the largest party not within the government, usually the leader of the second largest party in the Parliament. The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
R. Sampanthan is the current opposition leader, since 3 September 2015
The Leader of the Opposition in Victoria is the leader of the largest political party in parliament but not in government. He or she is always a member of the Legislative Assembly. Since 4 December 2014, the Leader of the Opposition is Matthew Guy.
This is a list of Leaders of the Opposition in Queensland. Prior to 1898, opposition to the government of the day was less organised. Thus the Queensland Parliamentary Record does not designate Leaders of the Opposition before then. The Leader is responsible for managing the Opposition and has a role in administering the Legislative Assembly through the Committee of the Legislative Assembly.
In the Australian state of Western Australia, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly. The current Leader of the Opposition is Mark McGowan of the Labor Party.
Prior to 1911, the Western Australian political system had neither organised political parties (apart from the Labor Party) nor an organised opposition. The notion of leader of the opposition was well-understood however, and on occasions was applied to members. Maitland Brown, for example, was often referred to as "Leader of the Opposition" during his period as an outspoken critic of Governor Robinson's Government.
The Leader of the Opposition ( Urdu: قائد حزب اختلاف), is the people's elected politician who, by law, is the leader of the Official Opposition in Pakistan. The current and incumbent Leader of the Opposition is Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians — a party representing PPP. The Leader of the Opposition also leads the Official Opposition to National Assembly of Pakistan, a lower house of Pakistan Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition is normally the leader of the largest party not within the government which is usually the second largest political party in the National Assembly. In established democracies he or she is normally viewed as an alternative Prime Minister. There is also a Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who is elected / nominated separately.
A list of the leaders of the Opposition before and according to the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan;
Numerical list
Leaders of the Opposition
Starting term
Ending term
Political affiliation
Political ideology
A
Fatima Jinnah
1 January 1960
9 July 1967
Independent
Pan-Islamism, Pakistani nationalism
B
Nurul Amin
9 July 1967
7 December 1970
Pakistan Muslim League
Pakistani nationalism
1
Khan Abdul Wali Khan
14 April 1972
17 August 1975
National Awami Party
Democratic socialism
2
Sherbaz Khan Mazari
17 August 1975
5 July 1977
Pakistan National Alliance
Secularism
3
Fakhar Imam
24 March 1985
29 May 1988
Pakistan Muslim League
National conservatism
(1)
Khan Abdul Wali Khan
2 December 1988
6 August 1990
National Awami Party
Democratic socialism
4
Benazir Bhutto
6 November 1990
18 April 1993
Pakistan Peoples Party
Democratic socialism
5
Nawaz Sharif
19 October 1993
5 November 1996
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Western conservatism
(4)
Benazir Bhutto
6 November 1996
18 April 1999
Pakistan Peoples Party
Democratic socialism
6
Fazal-ur-Rehman
20 August 2004
25 March 2008
United Council of Action
Religious conservatism
7
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi
25 March 2008
17 September 2008
Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
Conservatism
8
Nisar Ali Khan
17 September 2008
7 June 2013
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Western conservatism
9
Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah
7 June 2013
Incumbent
Pakistan Peoples Party
Democratic socialism
The Leader of the Opposition (, Yoshev Rosh Ha-Opozitzya) is the politician who leads the Official Opposition in the Israeli legislative body, the Knesset.
The Leader of the Opposition in Northern Ireland was theoretically the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland which was not the government. The position was eliminated in 1972 when the Stormont Parliament was abolished and replaced by direct rule from London.
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in the Parliament of Albania. The Leader of the Opposition is invariably seen as the alternative Prime Minister of Albania to the present incumbent, and heads a rival alternative government known as the Shadow Cabinet.
The Leader of the Opposition of Singapore is usually the leader of the second largest political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore. During the 1955 Legislative Assembly election, the late Lee Kuan Yew was the de facto Leader of the Opposition, as the People's Action Party was then the second largest political party represented in the Legislative Assembly.
The current de facto Leader of Opposition is Low Thia Khiang of Workers' Party of Singapore.
The Leader of the Opposition of the Republic of Mauritius is the Member of Parliament who leads the Opposition party in the National Assembly of Mauritius. This office is a constitutional one guaranteed by the laws of the country. The current office holder becomes automatically 7th in the order of precedence. The current Leader of the Opposition is Paul Bérenger who was appointed by President Kailash Purryag on December 17, 2014.
The Leader of the Opposition in South Africa is a title held by the leader of the largest party, not forming part of the government, in the most important house of Parliament. This was the House of Assembly from 1910 to 1994 and the National Assembly from 1994. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet and the challenge to the government on the floor of Parliament. They thus act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government.
The current Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly is Mmusi Maimane of the Democratic Alliance. He is also the national party leader. Former national party leader Helen Zille is not a member of the National Assembly, but is the Premier of the Western Cape.
In the list below, when the office is said to be vacant, there was no opposition party with more than ten seats and no clear Leader of the Opposition has been identified. This was the case between the formation of the Hertzog-Smuts coalition in 1933 and the breakaway of the Purified National Party in 1934. It was also the case during the government of National Unity from 1994 until the National Party ministers resigned in 1996.
In some cases the Leader of the Opposition may have been the Parliamentary leader only, during a vacancy in the party leadership and the first part of their own tenure, before being confirmed as national party leader by a party congress. Only the last two Leaders of the Opposition in the list have been Parliamentary leaders only, whilst the incumbent national party leader was not a Member of Parliament.
The Leader of the Opposition in Prince Edward Island is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island.
This list is incomplete
{| class="wikitable" |- !# !Leader !Party !Took office !Left office
| Daniel Gordon | Conservative |1894 |1903 | John A. Mathieson | Conservative |1904 |1911 | John Richards | Liberal |1912 |1915 | John Howatt Bell | Liberal |1915 |1919 | Aubin E. Arsenault | Conservative |1919 |1921 | James D. Stewart | Conservative |1921 |1923 | Albert C. Saunders | Liberal |1923 |1927 | James D. Stewart | Conservative |1927 |1931 | Walter Lea | Liberal |1931 |1935 |- |align="center" colspan="5"|No Official Opposition Leader 1935 - 1939 | William J.P. MacMillan | Progressive Conservative |1940 |1950 | Reginald R. Bell | Progressive Conservative |1950 |1959 | Alexander Wallace Matheson | Liberal |1959 |1965 | Lorne Bonnell | Liberal |1965 |1965 | Alexander B. Campbell | Liberal |1965 |1966 | Walter Russell Shaw | Progressive Conservative |1966 |1970 | George Dewar | Progressive Conservative |1970 |1973 | Melvin McQuaid | Progressive Conservative |1973 |1976 | J. Angus MacLean | Progressive Conservative |1977 |1979 | William Bennett Campbell | Liberal |1979 |1981 | Gilbert Clements | Liberal |1981 |1982 | Joe Ghiz | Liberal |1982 |1986 | Leone Bagnall | Progressive Conservative |1986 |1993 | Pat Mella | Progressive Conservative |1993 |1996 | Keith Milligan | Liberal |1996 |1999 | Paul Connolly | Liberal |1999 |2000 | Ron MacKinley | Liberal |2000 |2003 | Robert Ghiz | Liberal |2003 |2007 | Pat Binns | Progressive Conservative |2007 |2007 | Olive Crane | Progressive Conservative |2007 |2010 | Jim Bagnall | Progressive Conservative |2010 |2010 | Olive Crane | Progressive Conservative |2010 |2013 | Hal Perry | Progressive Conservative |2013 |2013 | Steven Myers | Progressive Conservative |2013 |2015 | Jamie Fox | Progressive Conservative |2015 |present |}
Category:Politics of Prince Edward Island
The Leader of the Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago is the leader of the largest political party which has not formed the current government.
The Leader of the Opposition is a member of the House of Representatives, and is appointed by the President of Trinidad and Tobago.
The current Leader of the Opposition is Kamla Persad-Bissessar, leader of the United National Congress.
The Leader of the Opposition has been a position in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta since 1905.
Alberta has enjoyed long periods of stable government rule, and has elected massive government majority during almost every election in its history. In most other legislatures in Canada, the opposition party is traditionally recognized as a government in waiting, and will alternate periods of government among two or three parties. In Alberta however the opposition has traditionally been very small in terms of seat numbers, and highly unstable in terms of party leadership.
Peter Lougheed is the only Leader of the Opposition who has ever gone on to become Premier of Alberta.
The Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania is the title of the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leads the opposition on the floor of parliament. They thus act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government. They are also given certain additional rights under parliamentary standing orders, such as extended time limits for speeches. Should the opposition win an election, the Leader of the Opposition will usually be nominated to become the Premier of Tasmania.
The position of Leader of the Opposition was essentially informal throughout the nineteenth century, with formal recognition only being granted in the early twentieth century. As there was no party system until 1909, the loose ideological blocs in parliament tended to change regularly, and few people lasted in the position for more than one or two years at a time. The development of a party system gave the role greater significance, and it was subsequently given greater formal recognition, with an additional salary payment being accommodated for in 1927 and formal recognition in the parliamentary standing orders in 1937.
The current Leader of the Opposition is Bryan Green of the Australian Labor Party. He has been in the role since 31 March 2014, having been elected unopposed after the resignation of Lara Giddings. Giddings had stepped down as leader after the party's loss in the 2014 state election.
The Leader of the Opposition is an unofficial title traditionally held by the leader of the largest parliamentary party not in government in the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish parliament, the Cortes Generales. The Leader of the Opposition is invariably seen as an alternative to the incumbent Prime Minister of Spain at the time.
Despite its non-official character, the figure of Leader of Opposition has gained importance over the years because of its symbolism, usually receiving much more attention from the media in parliamentary sessions and activities, such as in the yearly-held State of the Nation Debate.
There is some ambiguity regarding the 'leader of the largest opposition party' definition. Usually, Leaders of the Opposition are both the official chairmen of the party as well as the candidate for Prime Minister, yet there has been one instance where both positions were held by different people. As such, in 1998–1999 Joaquín Almunia was the de facto party chairman, because of his position as Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (then-largest opposition party), but it was Josep Borrell who held the title of Leader of Opposition in parliament, as he had been elected as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate. For instance, the Leader of the Opposition is usually the person who is expected to lead the party in the next general election.
The Leader of the Opposition of the Commonwealth of Dominica is the Member of Parliament who leads the Official Opposition in the House of Assembly of Dominica. The current Leader of the Opposition is Hector John of the United Workers' Party, sworn in 19 July 2010; John is the youngest to hold the position.
Chapter IV Section 66 of The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Dominica provides:
The House of Assembly did not have a Leader of the Opposition in early 2010, following the results of the 2009 general election. The leader of the opposition United Workers' Party, Ronald Green, lost his seat, and the three UWP Representatives elected boycotted the House of Assembly. This ended with the swearing in of Hector John as Leader of the Opposition on 19 July 2010.
The Opposition in Hungary is the body of political parties represented in the parliament which are not a part of the government supported by the parliamentary majority.
The Leader of the Opposition is the unofficial title held by the leader of the largest party of the opposition.
The Leader of the Opposition leads the Official Opposition in the Jatiyo Sangshad, the national parliament of Bangladesh. The Leader of the Opposition is normally the leader of the largest party not within the government which is usually the second largest political party in the Jatiyo Sangshad.
The post also carries weight-age of cabinet minister and is seen comparable to prime minister who is leader of house and also ruling party.
The Leader of the Opposition in Peru relates to each of the presidential candidates who took second and third place in the general election, including any other political leader and Benches (Parliamentary Groups) in the Congress. Since Ollanta Humala took office, the leadership of the opposition is chaired by Keiko Fujimori. Once established the First Presidency of Fernando Belaúnde, it could be distinguished true leaders against the government's position.
The Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest opposing party to the government. The role is not an official office.
The Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition in Bermuda is the leader of the largest political party which has not formed the current government. The Leader of the Opposition is seen as the alternative Premier and leads Bermuda's Opposition ad Shadow Cabinet.
The current holder of the post of Leader of the Opposition is The Hon. Marc Bean, a result of the Progressive Labour Party's loss in the 2012 Bermuda general election.
The Leader of the Opposition of Malta is by convention the leader of the most powerful party in the House of Representatives not in government. The Leader of the Opposition is appointed by the President of Malta, with the President making his or her decision based on the situation within the Maltese parliament.
The Office is constitutional in nature and the Leader of Opposition is normally viewed as an alternative Prime Minister, and must be a member of the House of Representatives of Malta. The post did not exist in the period between 1933 and 1947 or the period between 1958 and 1962.
The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in Newfoundland and Labrador is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. This list is incomplete
{| class="wikitable" |- ! !! Name !! Party !! Took Office !! Left Office | John Gilbert Higgins | Progressive Conservative |1949 |1951 | Peter Cashin | Progressive Conservative |1951 |1953 | Malcolm Hollett | Progressive Conservative |1953 |1959 | James Greene | Progressive Conservative |1960 |1966 | Noel Murphy | Progressive Conservative |1966 |1966 | Gerry Ottenheimer | Progressive Conservative |1967 |1969 | Anthony Joseph Murphy | Progressive Conservative |1969 |1971 | Frank Moores | Progressive Conservative |1971 |1972 | Joey Smallwood | Liberal |1972 |1972 | Edward Roberts | Liberal |1972 |1977 | Steve Neary | Liberal |1977 |1977 | Bill Rowe | Liberal |1977 |1979 | Don Jamieson | Liberal |1979 |1980 | Len Stirling | Liberal |1980 |1982 | Steve Neary | Liberal |1982 |1984 | Leo Barry | Liberal |1984 |1987 | Roger Simmons | Liberal |1987 |1987 | Clyde Wells | Liberal |1987 |1989 | Tom Rideout | Progressive Conservative |1989 |1991 | Len Simms | Progressive Conservative |1991 |1995 | Lynn Verge | Progressive Conservative |1995 |1996 | Loyola Sullivan | Progressive Conservative |1996 |1998 | Ed Byrne | Progressive Conservative |1998 |2001 | Danny Williams | Progressive Conservative |2001 |2003 | Roger Grimes | Liberal |2003 |2005 | Gerry Reid | Liberal |2005 |2007 | Yvonne Jones | Liberal |2007 |2010 | Kelvin Parsons (interim) | Liberal |2010 |2011 | Yvonne Jones | Liberal |2011 |2012 | Dwight Ball | Liberal |2012 |2013 | Eddie Joyce (interim) | Liberal |2013 |2013 | Dwight Ball | Liberal |2013 |2015 | Paul Davis | Progressive Conservative |2015 | |}
The role of the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition (or more commonly the Leader of the Opposition) in New South Wales is a title held by the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. There is also a Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the opposition on the floor of parliament. They act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government. They are also given certain additional rights under parliamentary standing orders, such as extended time limits for speeches.
Since 2015, the Leader of the Opposition is Luke Foley. Adam Searle serves as leader in the Legislative Council.
The Leader of the Opposition in Malaysian Federal Politics is a Member of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives). By convention, the position is held by the leader of the political party not in government that has the most seats in the House. When in parliament, the Leader of the Opposition sits on the left-hand side of the centre table, in front of the Opposition and opposite the Prime Minister. The Opposition Leader is elected by the minority party of the House according to its rules. A new Opposition Leader may be elected when the incumbent dies, resigns, or is challenged for the leadership.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system and is based on the Westminster model. The Opposition is an important component of the Westminster system, with the Opposition directing criticism at the Government's policies and programs, give close attention to all proposed legislation and attempts to defeat and replace the Government. The Opposition is therefore known as the 'government in waiting' and it is a formal part of the parliamentary system. Due to the domination of the Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor, the Alliance) coalition of the parliament since independence, this perception is generally not acknowledged by Malaysians, though since the 2008 elections, Anwar Ibrahim has declared that the Opposition is the 'government in waiting'. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration, majority party or coalition in parliament or the cabinet, rather than the state.
To date there have been 10 Opposition Leaders, none of whom have served terms as Prime Minister. The current Leader of the Opposition is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail of the People's Justice Party, following an election of the new Parliamentary PKR Leader by caucus and other minority party's MPs on 18 May 2015.
The Leader of the Opposition in South Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties, known as the Opposition, in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the House of Assembly. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, and act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government. They are also given certain additional rights under parliamentary standing orders, such as extended time limits for speeches. Should the opposition win an election, the Leader of the Opposition will be nominated to become the Premier of South Australia.
Before the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from the 1893 election to 1905 election with Labor support, with the conservatives mostly in opposition. Labor took government with the support of eight dissident liberals in 1905 when Labor won the most seats for the first time. The rise of Labor saw non-Labor politics start to merge into various party incarnations. The two independent conservative parties, the Australasian National League (formerly National Defence League) and the Farmers and Producers Political Union merged with the Liberal and Democratic Union to become the Liberal Union in 1910. Labor formed South Australia's first majority government after winning the 1910 state election, triggering the merger. The 1910 election came two weeks after federal Labor formed Australia's first elected majority government at the 1910 federal election.
The current opposition leader is Liberal Steven Marshall. A record, Marshall is the fifth opposition leader since their party lost office in 2002. In comparison, each Labor leader for over half a century has served as Premier.
The Leader of the Opposition is the politician in the politics of Thailand who leads the main minority party in the House of Representatives. Following the Westminster style parliamentary system, Thailand has had an official Leader of the Opposition since 1975. Under the 2007 Constitution the Leader of the Opposition was given an official role within the Thai political system. The constitution stipulates that the Leader of the Opposition must be selected after the Prime Minister and the Cabinet has taken office.
To be nominated as candidate one must be the leader of the largest political party with no member holding any ministerial positions and if his or her party holds more or one-fifth (96 seats) of the seats in the House (480 seats). If no candidate meets this qualification then a leader of a minority party with the largest number of votes from parties with no members holding ministerial positions will be selected. The appointment will then be formalized by the King.
The Leader of the Opposition also has other roles apart from leading the Shadow Cabinet, he is also an ex-officio member of several selection committees for: Constitutional Court Judges, Election Commissioners, Ombudsmen and commissioners of the National Counter Corruption Commission and members of the State Audit Commission.
The Leader of the Opposition (or Leader of the Official Opposition) in Solomon Islands is a Member of Parliament who commands a large minority of his peers, united in loyal opposition to government. The title of "Leader of the Opposition" is common to the Commonwealth realms and several other Commonwealth countries, though in Solomon Islands it is specifically defined by the Constitution. The Leader of the Opposition appoints and leads a Shadow Cabinet. The current Leader of the Opposition, since December 2014, is Jeremiah Manele.
The Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition in Jamaica is the leader of the largest political party which has not formed the current government. The Leader of the Opposition is seen as the alternative Prime Minister and leads Jamaica's Shadow Cabinet. As of January 2012 Jamaica has had no Leader of the Opposition who has not also served as Prime Minister. P. J. Patterson is the only of Jamaica's nine Prime Ministers who has not also served as Leader of the Opposition.
The current holder of the post of Leader of the Opposition is Portia Simpson-Miller, a result of her party's loss in the 2016 general election.
The Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition in the British Virgin Islands (more commonly known as the Leader of the Opposition) is a politician who is appointed by the Governor who leads the political parties and elected legislators who are not aligned with the Government of the day. Under the Constitution the Governor is required to appoint a member of the House of Assembly recommended by a majority of the elected members of the House who are members of any opposition party whose numerical strength in the House is greater than that of any other opposition party, or if no such person exists, the member of the House of Assembly who in the judgement of the Governor is best able to command the support of the members of the House in opposition to the Government.
Prior to the introduction of the current Constitution, which codified the position, the Leader of the Opposition by convention led the largest party which is not part of the government: where one party wins outright this is the party leader of the second largest political party in the House of Assembly. However, in 1990 Cyril Romney was appointed Leader of the Opposition as an Independent and in 1995 Walwyn Brewley was appointed despite leading the party with the third largest number of seats. The Leader of the Opposition is normally viewed as an alternative Premier.
On 21 July 2015 Julian Fraser was appointed as the most recent leader of the opposition.