Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)

The leader of the Official Opposition () is the member of Parliament (MP) who leads the Official Opposition in Canada. This is typically the leader of the party possessing the most seats in the House of Commons that is neither the governing party nor part of a governing coalition.

Pierre Poilievre, MP for Battle River—Crowfoot, has been the leader of the Official Opposition since August 2025. Poilievre previously served in the role from September 2022 until April 2025, when he lost his seat in Carleton in the 2025 federal election. He was elected to his current seat in an August by-election, once again becoming leader of the Opposition.

The office should not be confused with Opposition House leader, who is a frontbencher charged with managing the business of the Opposition in the House of Commons and is formally titled Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons. There is also a leader of the Opposition in the Senate, who is usually of the same party as the leader of the Opposition in the house.

Name The term leader of the opposition is used in the Parliament of Canada Act and the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, as is the term official opposition. The terms leader of the loyal opposition, his majesty's opposition, and loyal opposition are sometimes used, but are not in either the act or the standing orders. The word loyal is used to communicate the party's loyalty to monarch of Canadaas the nonpartisan personification of the nation and the state's authorityeven as its members oppose the governing party.

Privileges The leader of the Opposition is entitled to the same levels of pay and protection as a Cabinet minister and is often made a member of the King's Privy Council, generally the only non-government member of the House of Commons afforded that privilege. The leader of the Opposition is entitled to reside at the official residence of Stornoway and ranks thirteenth on the Order of Precedence, after Cabinet ministers and before lieutenant governors of the provinces. In the House of Commons seating plan, the leader of the Opposition sits directly across from the prime minister.

History During the 1st Canadian Parliament, the position of the leader of the opposition was not clearly established. The Liberal Party sat on the opposition benches, but it remained a loose coalition of various interests and chose not to name a leader until becoming a more united group. Several historians note that John Sandfield Macdonald was granted the seat reserved for the Opposition leader, though he was an ally of John A. Macdonald and the two had campaigned together in the preceding election. As Sandfield Macdonald was concurrently Premier of Ontario, he did not play a major role in holding the government to account. Instead, Alexander Mackenzie emerged as a prominent opponent of the government, with some historians describing him as the de facto leader of the Opposition from 1869. Mackenzie was recognized as Leader of the Opposition in 1873, after formally assuming the leadership of the Liberal Party.

Despite its importance in the Westminster system, the role was not enshrined in law until 1905. In proposing the measure, Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier said "the leader of the opposition under our system is just as much a part of the constitutional system of government as the Prime Minister himself." The leader was also granted a $7,000 allowance, per session, in addition to his salary as MP. According to Dean E. Henry, this "made Canada the first entity in the British Empire, probably the first in the world, to pay a state salary to an opposition leader."

Two leaders of the Opposition have died in office: Wilfrid Laurier in 1919 and Jack Layton in 2011.

Leaders of the Official Opposition

Portrait Name Term of officePartyPrime ministerTerm startTerm endAlexander MackenzieMarch 6,1873November 5,1873LiberalSir John A. MacdonaldSir John A. MacdonaldNovember 6,1873October 16,1878Liberal-ConservativeAlexander MackenzieAlexander MackenzieOctober 17,1878April 27,1880LiberalSir John A. MacdonaldVacantEdward BlakeMay 4,1880June 2,1887LiberalVacantWilfrid LaurierJune 23,1887July 10,1896LiberalSir John AbbottSir John ThompsonSir Mackenzie BowellSir Charles TupperSir Charles TupperJuly 11,1896February 5,1901ConservativeSir Wilfrid LaurierRobert BordenFebruary 6,1901October 9,1911Sir Wilfrid LaurierOctober 10,1911February 17,1919LiberalSir Robert BordenDaniel Duncan McKenzieFebruary 17,1919October 20,1919William Lyon Mackenzie KingOctober 20,1919December 28,1921Arthur MeighenVacantWilliam LyonMackenzie KingArthur MeighenJanuary 26,1922June 28,1926ConservativeWilliam Lyon Mackenzie KingJune 29,1926September 24,1926LiberalArthur MeighenVacantWilliam LyonMackenzie KingHugh GuthrieOctober 11,1926October 11,1927ConservativeR. B. BennettOctober 12,1927August 6,1930William Lyon Mackenzie KingAugust 7,1930October 22,1935LiberalR. B. BennettR. B. BennettOctober 23,1935July 6,1938ConservativeWilliam LyonMackenzie KingRobert James ManionJuly 7,1938May 13,1940ConservativeRichard HansonMay 14,1940January 1,1943ProgressiveConservativeGordon GraydonJanuary 1,1943June 10,1945ProgressiveConservativeJohn BrackenJune 11,1945July 20,1948VacantGeorge A. DrewDecember 20,1948November 1,1954ProgressiveConservativeLouis St. LaurentWilliam Earl RoweNovember 1,1954February 1,1955George A. DrewFebruary 1,1955August 1,1956William Earl RoweAugust 1,1956December 13,1956John DiefenbakerDecember 14,1956June 20,1957Louis St. LaurentJune 21,1957January 16,1958LiberalJohn DiefenbakerLester B. PearsonJanuary 16,1958April 22,1963John DiefenbakerApril 22,1963September 9,1967ProgressiveConservativeLester B. PearsonMichael StarrSeptember 9,1967November 6,1967Robert StanfieldNovember 6,1967February 22,1976Pierre TrudeauJoe ClarkFebruary 22,1976June 4,1979Pierre TrudeauJune 4,1979March 3,1980LiberalJoe ClarkJoe ClarkMarch 3,1980February 2,1983ProgressiveConservativePierre TrudeauErik NielsenFebruary 2,1983August 29,1983Brian MulroneyAugust 29,1983September 17,1984John TurnerJohn TurnerSeptember 17,1984February 8,1990LiberalBrian MulroneyHerb GrayFebruary 8,1990December 10,1990Jean ChrétienDecember 10,1990November 4,1993Kim CampbellLucien BouchardNovember 4,1993January 15,1996Bloc QuébécoisJean ChrétienGilles DuceppeJanuary 15,1996February 17,1996Michel GauthierFebruary 17,1996March 15,1997Gilles DuceppeMarch 15,1997June 2,1997Preston ManningJune 2,1997March 27,2000ReformDeborah GreyMarch 27,2000September 11,2000Canadian AllianceStockwell DaySeptember 11,2000December 12,2001John ReynoldsDecember 12,2001May 21,2002Stephen HarperMay 21,2002January 9,2004Paul MartinGrant HillJanuary 9,2004March 20,2004ConservativeStephen HarperMarch 20,2004February 6,2006ConservativeBill GrahamFebruary 6,2006December 2,2006LiberalStephen HarperStéphane DionDecember 2,2006December 10,2008Michael IgnatieffDecember 10,2008May 2,2011Jack LaytonMay 2,2011August 22,2011New DemocraticNycole TurmelAugust 22,2011March 24,2012Tom MulcairMarch 24,2012November 4,2015Rona AmbroseNovember 4,2015May 27,2017ConservativeJustin TrudeauAndrew ScheerMay 27,2017August 24,2020Erin O'TooleAugust 24,2020February 2,2022Candice BergenFebruary 2,2022September 10,2022Pierre PoilievreSeptember 10,2022April 28,2025 Mark CarneyVacantAndrew ScheerMay 6, 2025August 18, 2025ConservativePierre PoilievreAugust 18,2025Incumbent

Timeline

Deputy leaders of the Opposition

Portrait Name Term of officePartyLeader of theOppositionTerm startTerm endDenis LebelNovember 19,2015July 24,2017ConservativeRona AmbroseAndrew ScheerLisa RaittJuly 24,2017October 21,2019Leona AlleslevNovember 28,2019July 12,2020Candice BergenSeptember 2,2020February 2,2022Erin O'TooleLuc BertholdFebruary 6,2022September 13,2022Candice BergenMelissa LantsmanSeptember 13,2022IncumbentPierre PoilievreAndrew ScheerPierre PoilievreTim UppalSeptember 13,2022Incumbent

Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet in Canada is composed of members of the main opposition party and is responsible for holding the government to account and for developing and disseminating the party's policy positions. Members of the Official Opposition are generally referred to as opposition critics, but the term Shadow Minister (which is generally used in other Westminster systems) is also used.

Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)

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