The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is a party office held by the Opposition's most senior member of the Shadow Cabinet in the Australian Senate, elected to lead the opposition party (or parties) in the body. Though the leader in the Senate does not have the power of the office of Leader of the Opposition (i.e. the leader in the House of Representatives and overall party leader), there are some parallels between the latter's status in the lower house and the former's in the Senate. In addition to their own shadow ministerial portfolio, the leader has overarching responsibility for all policy areas and acts as the opposition's principal spokesperson in the upper house. The leader is entitled to sit at the table of the Senate, and has priority in gaining recognition from the President of the Senate to speak in debate. Another similarity is that the leader typically announces changes to opposition officeholders in the Senate, including shadow ministers, party leadership and whips. The leader also has some responsibility for appointing opposition senators to committees, a role filled by the Manager of Opposition Business and whips in the lower house. The current leader is Michaelia Cash, assisted by a Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, currently Anne Ruston.
List of leaders of the opposition in the Senate Senate oppositionleader Term began Term ended Party Leader of the Opposition Josiah Symon 6 June 1901 18 August 1904 Free Trade George Reid Gregor McGregor 18 August 1904 5 July 1905 Labor Chris Watson Josiah Symon 5 July 1905 21 November 1907 Free Trade George Reid Anti-Socialist Edward Millen 21 November 1907 2 June 1909 Anti-Socialist Joseph Cook CommonwealthLiberal Alfred Deakin Gregor McGregor 2 June 1909 29 April 1910 Labor Andrew Fisher Edward Millen 29 April 1910 24 June 1913 CommonwealthLiberal Alfred Deakin Joseph Cook Gregor McGregor 24 June 1913 30 July 1914 Labor Andrew Fisher Edward Millen 30 July 1914 14 February 1917 CommonwealthLiberal Joseph Cook Albert Gardiner 17 February 1917 30 June 1926 Labor Frank Tudor Matthew Charlton Ted Needham 9 July 1926 25 June 1929 Labor James Scullin John Daly 25 June 1929 22 October 1929 Labor George Pearce 22 October 1929 6 January 1932 Nationalist John Latham UnitedAustralia Joseph Lyons John Barnes 6 January 1932 30 June 1935 Labor James Scullin Joe Collings 1 July 1935 7 October 1941 Labor John Curtin George McLeay 7 October 1941 31 May 1947 UAP Arthur Fadden Robert MenziesThe UAP/Liberals and Country Party did not form a coalition opposition from 1943 to 1949 in the House of Representatives. However, from 1 July 1947 until the parties won government in 1949, the Senate parties formed a combined opposition because the Country senator and two Liberal senators were the only non-Labor members of the upper house. Cooper served as leader, Neil O'Sullivan as deputy, and Annabelle Rankin as whip. Liberal Walter Cooper 1 June 1947 19 November 1949 Country Bill Ashley 19 December 1949 11 June 1951 Labor Chifley Nick McKenna 11 June 1951 17 August 1966 Labor H. V. Evatt Arthur Calwell Don Willesee 17 August 1966 8 February 1967 Labor Gough Whitlam Lionel Murphy 8 February 1967 5 December 1972 Labor Reg Withers 20 December 1972 11 November 1975 Liberal Billy Snedden Malcolm Fraser Ken Wriedt 11 November 1975 28 September 1980Resigned from the Senate while leader to seek a seat in the House of Representatives. Labor Gough Whitlam Bill Hayden John Button 7 November 1980 11 March 1983 Labor Bob Hawke Fred Chaney 11 March 1983 27 February 1990 Liberal Andrew Peacock John Howard Andrew Peacock Robert Hill 3 April 1990 11 March 1996 Liberal John Hewson Alexander Downer John Howard John Faulkner 19 March 1996 22 October 2004 Labor Kim Beazley Simon Crean Mark Latham Chris Evans 22 October 2004 3 December 2007 Labor Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Nick Minchin 3 December 2007 3 May 2010 Liberal Brendan Nelson Malcolm Turnbull Tony Abbott Eric Abetz 3 May 2010 18 September 2013 Liberal Penny Wong 18 September 2013 23 May 2022 Labor Chris Bowen Bill Shorten Anthony Albanese Simon Birmingham 23 May 2022 25 January 2025 Liberal Peter Dutton Michaelia Cash 25 January 2025 Incumbent Liberal Peter Dutton Sussan Ley Angus Taylor
See also Leader of the Government in the Senate (Australia) Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate
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