Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)

The leader of the Official Opposition (Template:Langx) 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 to 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<ref>Template:Cite canlaw</ref> and the Standing Orders of the House of Commons,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> as is the term official opposition.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> The terms leader of the loyal opposition, his majesty's opposition,<ref name="TCE">Template:Citation</ref> and loyal opposition are sometimes used,<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> 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 CanadaTemplate:Sndas the nonpartisan personification of the nation and the state's authorityTemplate:Sndeven as its members oppose the governing party.<ref name="TCE" />

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Several historians note that John Sandfield Macdonald was granted the seat reserved for the Opposition leader, though he was an ally of John A. MacdonaldTemplate:Efn and the two had campaigned together in the preceding election.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As Sandfield Macdonald was concurrently Premier of Ontario,Template:Efn 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Two leaders of the Opposition have died in office: Wilfrid Laurier in 1919 and Jack Layton in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Leaders of the Official Opposition

Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office		Party		Prime minister Template:Small
		Term start<ref name="Parliament2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>					Term end<ref name="Parliament2"/>
File:Alexander Mackenzie-portrait.jpg	Alexander Mackenzie Template:Small	March 6, 1873	November 5, 1873	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Sir John A. Macdonald [[Liberal-Conservative Party|Template:Small]]
File:Brady-Handy John A Macdonald - cropped.jpg	Sir John A. Macdonald Template:Small	November 6, 1873	October 16, 1878	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal-Conservative	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Alexander Mackenzie [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Alexander Mackenzie-portrait.jpg	Alexander Mackenzie Template:Small	October 17, 1878	April 27, 1880	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	rowspan="5" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Sir John A. Macdonald [[Liberal-Conservative Party|Template:Small]]
Vacant Template:Small
File:Edward Blake.jpg	Edward Blake Template:Small	May 4, 1880	June 2, 1887	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal
Vacant Template:Small
File:The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier Photo C (HS85-10-16873) - tight crop.jpg	Wilfrid Laurier Template:Small	June 23, 1887	July 10, 1896	rowspan="5" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Sir John Abbott [[Liberal-Conservative Party|Template:Small]]
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Sir John Thompson [[Liberal-Conservative Party|Template:Small]]
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Sir Mackenzie Bowell [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]]
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Sir Charles Tupper [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]]
File:Tupper Portrait.jpg	Sir Charles TupperTemplate:Efn Template:Small	July 11, 1896	February 5, 1901	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Sir Wilfrid Laurier [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Borden-sm (cropped).jpg	Robert Borden Template:Small	February 6, 1901	October 9, 1911	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier Photo C (HS85-10-16873) - tight crop.jpg	Sir Wilfrid Laurier Template:Small	October 10, 1911	February 17, 1919Template:Efn	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Sir Robert Borden [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]] [[Unionist Party (Canada)|Template:Small]]
File:DanielDuncanMcKenzie-crop.jpg	Daniel Duncan McKenzieTemplate:Efn Template:Small	February 17, 1919	October 20, 1919	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Wm Lyon Mackenzie King.jpg	William Lyon Mackenzie King Template:Small	October 20, 1919	December 28, 1921	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Arthur Meighen [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]]
VacantTemplate:Efn Template:Small						rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	William Lyon Mackenzie King [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Former PM Arthur Meighen.jpg	Arthur Meighen Template:Small	January 26, 1922	June 28, 1926	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative
File:Wm Lyon Mackenzie King.jpg	William Lyon Mackenzie King Template:Small	June 29, 1926	September 24, 1926	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Arthur Meighen [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]]
VacantTemplate:Efn Template:Small						rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	William Lyon Mackenzie King [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Hugh Guthrie (cropped).png	Hugh GuthrieTemplate:Efn Template:Small	October 11, 1926	October 11, 1927	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative
File:Richard Bedford Bennett.jpg	R. B. Bennett Template:Small	October 12, 1927	August 6, 1930	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Wm Lyon Mackenzie King.jpg	William Lyon Mackenzie King Template:Small	August 7, 1930	October 22, 1935	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	R. B. Bennett [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]]
File:Richard Bedford Bennett.jpg	R. B. Bennett Template:Small	October 23, 1935	July 6, 1938	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative	rowspan="9" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	William Lyon Mackenzie King [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
VacantTemplate:Efn Template:Small
File:Robert Manion.jpg	Robert James Manion Template:Small	November 15, 1938	May 13, 1940	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative
File:Richard Hanson 1940.jpg	Richard HansonTemplate:Efn Template:Small	May 14, 1940	January 1, 1943	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Progressive ConservativeTemplate:Efn
	Gordon GraydonTemplate:Efn Template:Small	January 1, 1943	June 10, 1945	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Progressive Conservative
File:John Bracken circa 1941.jpg	John Bracken Template:Small	June 11, 1945	July 20, 1948	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
VacantTemplate:Efn Template:Small
File:GeorgeDrew.jpg	George A. Drew Template:Small	December 20, 1948	November 1, 1954	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Progressive Conservative
				rowspan="5" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Louis St. Laurent [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:William Earl Rowe.jpg	William Earl RoweTemplate:Efn Template:Small	November 1, 1954	February 1, 1955	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:GeorgeDrew.jpg	George A. Drew Template:Small	February 1, 1955	August 1, 1956	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:William Earl Rowe.jpg	William Earl RoweTemplate:Efn Template:Small	August 1, 1956	December 13, 1956	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:John G. Diefenbaker.jpg	John Diefenbaker Template:Small	December 14, 1956	June 20, 1957	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Louis St. Laurent portrait.jpg	Louis St. Laurent Template:Small	June 21, 1957	January 16, 1958	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	John Diefenbaker [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Lester B. Pearson (1963 ABC press photo).jpg	Lester B. Pearson Template:Small	January 16, 1958	April 22, 1963	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:John G. Diefenbaker.jpg	John Diefenbaker Template:Small	April 22, 1963	September 9, 1967	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Progressive Conservative	rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Lester B. Pearson [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Template:Small]]
File:Michael Starr (cropped).jpg	Michael StarrTemplate:Efn Template:Small	September 9, 1967	November 6, 1967	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Robert Stanfield 1968 press photo.jpg	Robert Stanfield Template:Small	November 6, 1967	February 22, 1976	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Pierre Trudeau [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Joe Clark being interviewed 1979 crop.jpg	Joe Clark Template:Small	February 22, 1976	June 4, 1979	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau 1975 (UPI press photo) (cropped).jpg	Pierre Trudeau Template:Small	June 4, 1979	March 3, 1980	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Joe Clark [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Joe Clark being interviewed 1979 crop.jpg	Joe Clark Template:Small	March 3, 1980	February 2, 1983	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Progressive Conservative	rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Pierre Trudeau [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
	Erik NielsenTemplate:Efn Template:Small	February 2, 1983	August 29, 1983	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Brian Mulroney (cropped).jpg	Brian Mulroney Template:Small	August 29, 1983	September 17, 1984	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		John Turner [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Ronald Reagan and John Turner 1987 crop (cropped).jpg	John Turner Template:Small	September 17, 1984	February 8, 1990	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	rowspan="3" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Brian Mulroney [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Herb Gray 1980 (cropped).jpg	Herb GrayTemplate:Efn Template:Small	February 8, 1990	December 10, 1990	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:APEC Summit 1993 - Jean Chrétien (3x4).jpg	Jean Chrétien Template:Small	December 10, 1990	November 4, 1993	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Kim Campbell [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Lucien Bouchard 2009.png	Lucien Bouchard Template:Small	November 4, 1993	January 15, 1996	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Bloc Québécois	rowspan="9" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Jean Chrétien [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Gilles Duceppe2.jpg	Gilles DuceppeTemplate:Efn Template:Small	January 15, 1996	February 17, 1996	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Michel Gauthier (cropped).jpg	Michel Gauthier Template:Small	February 17, 1996	March 15, 1997	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Gilles Duceppe2.jpg	Gilles Duceppe Template:Small	March 15, 1997	June 2, 1997	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Preston Manning in 2004.jpg	Preston Manning Template:Small	June 2, 1997	March 27, 2000	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Reform
File:Deborah Grey.jpg	Deborah GreyTemplate:Efn Template:Small	March 27, 2000	September 11, 2000	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Canadian Alliance
File:Stockwell Day (infobox crop).jpg	Stockwell Day Template:Small	September 11, 2000	December 12, 2001	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Johnreynolds2006winter.JPG	John Reynolds Template:Small	December 12, 2001	May 21, 2002	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Stephen Harper by Remy Steinegger Infobox.jpg	Stephen Harper Template:Small	May 21, 2002	January 9, 2004	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				rowspan="4" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Paul Martin [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
	Grant HillTemplate:Efn Template:Small	January 9, 2004	March 20, 2004	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	ConservativeTemplate:Efn
File:Stephen Harper by Remy Steinegger Infobox.jpg	Stephen Harper Template:Small	March 20, 2004	February 6, 2006	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative
File:Bill Graham by Rod Brito.jpg	Bill GrahamTemplate:Efn Template:Small	February 6, 2006	December 2, 2006	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Liberal	rowspan="6" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Stephen Harper [[Conservative Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Stéphane Dion.jpg	Stéphane Dion Template:Small	December 2, 2006	December 10, 2008	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Victoria, BC Liberal Town Hall Forum public libéral.jpg	Michael IgnatieffTemplate:Efn Template:Small	December 10, 2008	May 2, 2011	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Jack Layton - 2011.jpg	Jack Layton Template:Small	May 2, 2011	August 22, 2011Template:Efn	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	New Democratic
File:Nycole Turmel.png	Nycole TurmelTemplate:Efn Template:Small	August 22, 2011	March 24, 2012	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Mulcair-Ottawa-2015 crop.jpg	Tom Mulcair Template:Small	March 24, 2012	November 4, 2015	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Rona Ambrose - 2017 (35750557332) (cropped).jpg	Rona AmbroseTemplate:Efn Template:Small	November 4, 2015	May 27, 2017	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative	rowspan="5" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Justin Trudeau [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
File:Andrew Scheer 2019 (3x4 cropped).jpg	Andrew Scheer Template:Small	May 27, 2017	August 24, 2020	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:ErinO'Toole (cropped).jpg	Erin O'Toole Template:Small	August 24, 2020	February 2, 2022	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Candice Bergen - 2017 (cropped).jpg	Candice BergenTemplate:Efn Template:Small	February 2, 2022	September 10, 2022	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Pierre Poilievre in 2023 (edited).jpg	Pierre Poilievre Template:Small	September 10, 2022	April 28, 2025	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
				style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		rowspan="4" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Mark Carney [[Liberal Party of Canada|Template:Small]]
VacantTemplate:Efn Template:Small
File:Andrew Scheer 2019 (3x4 cropped).jpg	Andrew ScheerTemplate:Efn Template:Small	May 6, 2025	August 18, 2025	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative
File:Pierre Poilievre in 2023 (edited).jpg	Pierre Poilievre Template:Small	August 18, 2025	present	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |

Timeline

<timeline>ImageSize=width:1100 height:auto barincrement:13 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal AlignBars = late PlotArea = width:90% left:10 top:10 bottom:100 Legend = columns:1 left:120 top:70 columnwidth:175

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1870 till:31/12/{{#time:Y|+1 year}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

Colors =

id:Liberal         value:rgb(0.92,0.43,0.42) legend: Liberal_Party_of_Canada
id:OldConservative value:rgb(0.6,0.6,1)      legend: Conservative_Party_→_Progressive_Conservative_Party
id:BlocQuebec      value:rgb(0.53,0.81,0.98) legend: Bloc_Québécois
id:Reform          value:rgb(0.24,0.70,0.44) legend: Reform_Party_of_Canada
id:Alliance        value:rgb(0.37,0.62,0.63) legend: Canadian_Alliance
id:Conservative    value:rgb(0.39,0.58,0.93) legend: Conservative_Party_of_Canada
id:NewDemocratic   value:rgb(0.96,0.64,0.38) legend: New_Democratic_Party
id:liteline        value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)
id:line            value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:10 start:1870 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:liteline unit:year increment:2 start:1870

TextData =

 pos:(20,75) textcolor:black fontsize:M
 text:"Political parties:"

BarData =

bar:Mackenzie
bar:Macdonald
bar:Blake
bar:Laurier
bar:Tupper
bar:Borden
bar:McKenzie
bar:WLMK
bar:Meighen
bar:Guthrie
bar:Bennett
bar:Manion
bar:Hanson
bar:Graydon
bar:Bracken
bar:Drew
bar:Rowe
bar:Diefenbaker
bar:St.Laurent
bar:Pearson
bar:Starr
bar:Stanfield
bar:Clark
bar:Trudeau
bar:Nielsen
bar:Mulroney
bar:Turner
bar:Gray
bar:Chretien
bar:Bouchard
bar:Duceppe
bar:Gauthier
bar:Manning
bar:Grey
bar:Day
bar:Reynolds
bar:Harper
bar:Grant
bar:Graham
bar:Dion
bar:Ignatieff
bar:Layton
bar:Turmel
bar:Mulcair
bar:Ambrose
bar:Scheer
bar:O'Toole
bar:Bergen
bar:Poilievre

PlotData=

 width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Mackenzie
 from: 03/06/1873 till: 05/11/1873 color:Liberal
 from: 17/10/1878 till: 27/04/1880 color:Liberal         text:"Alexander Mackenzie"
bar:Macdonald
 from: 06/11/1873 till: 16/10/1878 color:OldConservative text:"John A. Macdonald"
bar:Blake
 from: 04/05/1880 till: 02/06/1887 color:Liberal         text:"Edward Blake"
bar:Laurier
 from: 23/06/1887 till: 10/07/1896 color:Liberal
 from: 10/10/1911 till: 17/02/1919 color:Liberal         text:"Wilfrid Laurier"
bar:Tupper
 from: 11/07/1896 till: 05/02/1901 color:OldConservative text:"Charles Tupper"
bar:Borden
 from: 06/02/1901 till: 09/10/1911 color:OldConservative text:"Robert Borden"
bar:McKenzie
 from: 17/02/1919 till: 20/10/1919 color:Liberal         text:"Daniel Duncan McKenzie"
bar:WLMK
 from: 20/10/1919 till: 28/12/1921 color:Liberal
 from: 29/06/1926 till: 24/09/1926 color:Liberal
 from: 07/08/1930 till: 22/10/1935 color:Liberal         text:"William Lyon Mackenzie King"
bar:Meighen
 from: 29/12/1921 till: 28/06/1926 color:OldConservative text:"Arthur Meighen"
bar:Guthrie
 from: 11/10/1926 till: 11/10/1927 color:OldConservative text:"Hugh Guthrie"
bar:Bennett
 from: 12/10/1927 till: 06/08/1930 color:OldConservative
 from: 23/10/1935 till: 06/07/1938 color:OldConservative text:"R. B. Bennett"
bar:Manion
 from: 07/07/1938 till: 13/05/1940 color:OldConservative text:"Robert James Manion"
bar:Hanson
 from: 14/05/1940 till: 01/01/1943 color:OldConservative text:"Richard Hanson"
bar:Graydon
 from: 01/01/1943 till: 10/06/1945 color:OldConservative text:"Gordon Graydon"
bar:Bracken
 from: 11/06/1945 till: 20/07/1948 color:OldConservative text:"John Bracken"
bar:Drew
 from: 20/12/1948 till: 01/11/1954 color:OldConservative
 from: 01/02/1955 till: 01/08/1956 color:OldConservative text:"George A. Drew"
bar:Rowe
 from: 01/11/1954 till: 01/02/1955 color:OldConservative
 from: 01/08/1956 till: 13/12/1956 color:OldConservative text:"William Earl Rowe"
bar:Diefenbaker
 from: 14/12/1956 till: 20/06/1957 color:OldConservative
 from: 22/04/1963 till: 09/09/1967 color:OldConservative text:"John Diefenbaker"
bar:St.Laurent
 from: 21/06/1957 till: 16/01/1958 color:Liberal         text:"Louis St. Laurent"
bar:Pearson
 from: 16/01/1958 till: 22/04/1963 color:Liberal         text:"Lester B. Pearson"
bar:Starr
 from: 09/09/1967 till: 06/11/1967 color:OldConservative text:"Michael Starr"
bar:Stanfield
 from: 06/11/1967 till: 22/02/1976 color:OldConservative text:"Robert Stanfield"
bar:Clark
 from: 22/02/1976 till: 04/06/1979 color:OldConservative
 from: 03/03/1980 till: 02/02/1983 color:OldConservative text:"Joe Clark"
bar:Trudeau
 from: 04/06/1979 till: 03/03/1980 color:Liberal         text:"Pierre Trudeau"
bar:Nielsen
 from: 02/02/1983 till: 29/08/1983 color:OldConservative text:"Erik Nielsen"
bar:Mulroney
 from: 29/08/1983 till: 17/09/1984 color:OldConservative text:"Brian Mulroney"
bar:Turner
 from: 17/09/1984 till: 08/02/1990 color:Liberal         text:"John Turner"
bar:Gray
 from: 08/02/1990 till: 10/12/1990 color:Liberal         text:"Herb Gray"
bar:Chretien
 from: 10/12/1990 till: 04/11/1993 color:Liberal         text:"Jean Chrétien"
bar:Bouchard
 from: 04/11/1993 till: 15/01/1996 color:BlocQuebec
 from: 15/03/1997 till: 02/06/1997 color:BlocQuebec      text:"Lucien Bouchard"
bar:Duceppe
 from: 15/01/1996 till: 17/02/1996 color:BlocQuebec      text:"Giles Duceppe"
bar:Gauthier
 from: 17/02/1996 till: 15/03/1997 color:BlocQuebec      text:"Michel Gauthier"
bar:Manning
 from: 02/06/1997 till: 27/03/2000 color:Reform          text:"Preston Manning"
bar:Grey
 from: 27/03/2000 till: 11/09/2000 color:Alliance        text:"Deborah Grey"
bar:Day
 from: 11/09/2000 till: 12/12/2001 color:Alliance        text:"Stockwell Day"
bar:Reynolds
 from: 12/12/2001 till: 21/05/2002 color:Alliance        text:"John Reynolds"
bar:Harper
 from: 21/05/2002 till: 09/01/2004 color:Alliance    
 from: 20/03/2004 till: 06/02/2006 color:Conservative    text:"Stephen Harper"
bar:Grant
 from: 09/01/2004 till: 02/02/2004 color:Alliance
 from: 02/02/2004 till: 20/03/2004 color:Conservative    text:"Grant Hill"
bar:Graham
 from: 06/02/2006 till: 02/12/2006 color:Liberal         text:"Bill Graham"
bar:Dion
 from: 02/12/2006 till: 10/12/2008 color:Liberal         text:"Stéphane Dion"
bar:Ignatieff
 from: 10/12/2008 till: 02/05/2011 color:Liberal         text:"Michael Ignatieff"
bar:Layton
 from: 02/05/2011 till: 22/08/2011 color:NewDemocratic   text:"Jack Layton"
bar:Turmel
 from: 22/08/2011 till: 24/03/2012 color:NewDemocratic   text:"Nycole Turmel"
bar:Mulcair
 from: 24/03/2012 till: 04/11/2015 color:NewDemocratic   text:"Tom Mulcair"
bar:Ambrose
 from: 04/11/2015 till: 27/05/2017 color:Conservative    text:"Rona Ambrose"
bar:Scheer
 from: 27/05/2017 till: 24/08/2020 color:Conservative    
 from: 06/05/2025 till: 18/08/2025 color:Conservative    text:"Andrew Scheer"
bar:O'Toole
 from: 24/08/2020 till: 02/02/2022 color:Conservative    text:"Erin O'Toole"
bar:Bergen
 from: 02/02/2022 till: 10/09/2022 color:Conservative    text:"Candice Bergen"
bar:Poilievre
 from: 10/09/2022 till: 28/04/2025 color:Conservative   
 from: 18/08/2025 till: $today     color:Conservative    text:"Pierre Poilievre"

</timeline>

Deputy leaders of the Opposition

Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office		Party		Leader of the Opposition
		Term start	Term end
File:Denis Lebel 2017.jpg	Denis Lebel<ref name="deputy_leader">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	November 19, 2015	July 24, 2017	rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Conservative	Rona Ambrose
		Andrew Scheer
File:Lisa Raitt - 2017 (36917974502) (cropped)2.jpg	Lisa Raitt<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	July 24, 2017	October 21, 2019		style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Leona Alleslev 2017 wiki (cropped).jpg	Leona Alleslev<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	November 28, 2019	July 12, 2020		style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |
File:Candice Bergen - 2017 (cropped).jpg	Candice Bergen<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> Template:Small	September 2, 2020	February 2, 2022		style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Erin O'Toole
File:Luc Berthold 2019.jpg	Luc Berthold<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	February 6, 2022	September 13, 2022	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |		Candice Bergen
File:MelissaLantsman2022.jpg	Melissa Lantsman Template:Small	September 13, 2022	Incumbent	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |	Pierre Poilievre Andrew Scheer Pierre Poilievre
File:Uppalmp.png	Tim Uppal Template:Small	September 13, 2022	Incumbent	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour; " |

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.

See also

• Opposition House Leader
• Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Canada)

External links

• Leaders of the Official Opposition Template:Webarchive – Library of Parliament
• Leader of the Opposition Template:Webarchive – The Canadian Encyclopedia