View source for Leader of the Official Opposition (Ontario)

{{Short description|Position in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Leader
| body = the Official Opposition
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|fr|Chef de l'Opposition officielle}}}}
| image = Marit Stiles - May 18, 2023 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize = 
| alt = 
| imagecaption = 
| incumbent = [[Marit Stiles]]
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = February 4, 2023
| department = {{plainlist|
* [[Official Opposition (Canada)#Current provincial and territorial Official Oppositions|Official Opposition]]
* [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
}}
| style = 
| type = 
| status = 
| abbreviation = 
| member_of = [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
| reports_to = 
| residence = 
| seat = 
| nominator = 
| appointer = 
| appointer_qualified = 
| termlength = While leader of the largest party not in government
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = 
| inaugural = [[Edward Blake]]
| formation = {{Start date and age|1869}}
| deputy = 
| salary = $244,207 (2025)<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/premier-doug-ford-and-ontario-mpps-are-poised-to-get-a-raise-here-is-how-much-their-salaries-could-be-going-up/ |title=Premier Doug Ford and Ontario MPPs are getting a raise. Here is how much their salaries will be going up
|date=May 29, 2025|work=CTV}}</ref>
| website = 
}}

The '''leader of the Official Opposition''' ({{langx|fr|chef de l'Opposition officielle}}) is the leader of the largest political party in the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] that is not in [[government]] and is typically the second-largest party.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leader of the Official Opposition {{!}} Legislative Assembly of Ontario |url=https://www.ola.org/en/photo/leader-official-opposition |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=www.ola.org}}</ref> The position is formally titled the '''leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition''' ({{langx|fr|chef de la loyale opposition de Sa Majesté|links=no}}); under the [[Westminster system]], while the [[parliamentary opposition]] opposes the incumbent government, it remains loyal to [[the Crown]] and thus to Canada.<ref name="Schmitz">{{Citation |last=Schmitz |first=Gerald |title=The Opposition in a Parliamentary System |date=December 1988 |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/bp47-e.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321080112/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/bp47-e.htm |url-status=dead |place=Ottawa |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |archive-date=21 March 2015 |accessdate=}}</ref>

[[Marit Stiles]] has served as the leader of the Official Opposition since February 4, 2023. She leads the [[Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]] (NDP), which has held the second largest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly since the [[2018 Ontario general election|2018 provincial election]].

== History ==
{{Citation needed section|date=April 2023}}
Ontario's first Leader of the Official 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). Ten leaders were Premier before after they served this post.

* [[Archibald McKellar]] (Liberal) 1867-1869 was not formally recognized as opposition leader, but led the Liberal Party in the legislature.

== List of official opposition leaders ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!
!Leader
!Party
!Took office
!Left office 
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Edward Blake]]    
|[[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] 
|December 1869 
|December 1871
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[Matthew Crooks Cameron]] 
|rowspan=4|[[Ontario Progressive Conservative Party|Conservative]] 
|December 1871 
|1878
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[William Ralph Meredith]] 
|October 1878 
|October 1894
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[George Marter]] 
|October 1894 
|April 1896
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[James Whitney (politician)|James Whitney]] 
|April 1896 
|January 1905
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[George William Ross]] 
|rowspan=8|[[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] 
|February 1905 
|January 1907
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[George Perry Graham|George Graham]] 
|January 1907 
|August 1907
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Alexander Grant MacKay]] 
|August 1907 
|1911
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Newton Rowell]] 
|December 1911 
|1917
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[William Proudfoot]] 
|February 1918 
|June 1919
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
| [[Hartley Dewart]] 
|June 1919 
|October 1921
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Wellington Hay]] 
|March 1922 
|June 1923
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[W.E.N. Sinclair|William Sinclair]] <sup>1</sup> <sup>2</sup>
|August 1923 
|June 1934
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[George Stewart Henry|George Henry]] 
|[[Ontario Progressive Conservative Party|Conservative]] 
|July 1935 
|December 1938
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[George A. Drew|George Drew]] 
|[[Ontario Progressive Conservative Party|Conservative/Progressive Conservative]] 
|1939 
|1943
{{Canadian party colour|ON|CCF|row}} 
|[[Ted Jolliffe]] 
|[[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)|Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]]
|August 1943 
|June 1945
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Farquhar Oliver]] 
|[[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] 
|July 1945 
|June 1948
{{Canadian party colour|ON|CCF|row}}  
|[[Ted Jolliffe]] <small>(second time)</small> 
|[[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)|Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]]
|July 1948 
|November 1951
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}}  
|[[Farquhar Oliver]]<sup>3</sup> <small>(second time)</small>
|rowspan=5|[[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] 
|1951 
|April 1958
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[John Wintermeyer]] 
|April 1958 
|August 1963
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}}  
|[[Farquhar Oliver]] <sup>4</sup> <small>(third time)</small>
|October 1963 
|September 1964
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Andy Thompson (Canadian politician)|Andy Thompson]] 
|September 1964 
|November 1966
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Robert Nixon (politician)|Robert Nixon]] 
|February 1967 
|September 18, 1975 
{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP|row}} 
|[[Stephen Lewis]] 
|[[Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
|October 28, 1975
|April 29, 1977 
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
| [[Stuart Lyon Smith|Stuart Smith]] 
|rowspan=3|[[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] 
|June 1977 
|September 1981
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}}  
|[[Robert Nixon (politician)|Robert Nixon]]<sup>5</sup> <small>(second time)</small>
|January 25, 1982 
|February 21, 1982
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[David Peterson]] 
|February 1982 
|June 1985
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[Frank Miller (Canadian politician)|Frank Miller]] 
|rowspan=2|[[Ontario Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive Conservative]] 
|1985 
|1985
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[Larry Grossman (politician)|Larry Grossman]] 
|1985 
|1987
{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP|row}}
|[[Bob Rae]] 
|[[Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
|1987 
|1990
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}}  
|[[Robert Nixon (politician)|Robert Nixon]] <sup>6</sup> <small>(third time)</small> 
|rowspan=5|[[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] 
|November 20, 1990
|July 31, 1991<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=412 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313190230/http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=412 |archive-date=2014-03-13 |title=Legislative Assembly of Ontario {{!}} Members (MPPs) {{!}} Past & Present MPPs {{!}} Robert Fletcher Nixon, MPP}}</ref>
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Murray Elston]] <sup>7</sup>  
|1991 
|1991
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Jim Bradley (politician)|Jim Bradley]] <sup>8</sup>  
|1991 
|1992
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Lyn McLeod]] 
|1992 
|1996
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}} 
|[[Dalton McGuinty]] 
|1996 
|2003
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[Ernie Eves]] 
|rowspan=8|[[Ontario Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive Conservative]] 
|2003 
|2004
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[Bob Runciman]] <sup>9</sup> 
|2004 
|2005
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[John Tory]] 
|2005 
|2007
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}} 
|[[Bob Runciman]]<sup>10</sup> <small>(second time)</small>
|2007 
|2009
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}}
|[[Tim Hudak]]
|2009
|2014
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}}
|[[Jim Wilson (Ontario politician)|Jim Wilson]]<sup>11</sup> 
|2014
|2015
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}}
|[[Patrick Brown (Canadian politician)|Patrick Brown]]
|2015
|2018
{{Canadian party colour|ON|Progressive Conservative|row}}
|[[Vic Fedeli]]<sup>12</sup>
|2018
|2018
{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP|row}} 
|[[Andrea Horwath]] 
|rowspan=3|[[Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democratic]]
|2018
|2022
{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP|row}} 
|[[Peter Tabuns]]<sup>13</sup>
|2022
|2023
{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP|row}} 
|[[Marit Stiles]]
|2023
|present
|}

<sup>1</sup>  The Liberals were recognized as the Official Opposition following the [[1923 Ontario general election|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 [[Howard Ferguson|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.&nbsp;158.)

<sup>2</sup>  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 Ontario general election|1934 general election]] which made him Premier.

<sup>3</sup>  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.

<sup>4</sup>  Interim Liberal leader following the personal defeat of Wintermeyer in the [[1963 Ontario general election|1963 provincial election]] until Thompson's election as leader.

<sup>5</sup>  Interim Liberal leader of the party following the resignation of Stuart Smith.

<sup>6</sup>  Interim Liberal leader of the party following the personal defeat of Premier David Peterson in the [[1990 Ontario general election|1990 election]].

<sup>7</sup>  Elston became interim Liberal 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.

<sup>8</sup>  Interim Liberal leader between resignation of Elston and election of McLeod.

<sup>9</sup>  [[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 PC leader until Tory entered the legislature. Tory was elected to represent [[Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey (provincial electoral district)|Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey]] on March 17, 2005, and was sworn in as an MPP and leader of the opposition on March 29, 2005.

<sup>10</sup>  As Ontario PC leader John Tory did not win a seat in the [[2007 Ontario general election|2007 election]], Runciman served as Leader of the Opposition in the legislature.  (Tory had been running in the [[Don Valley West (provincial electoral district)|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 (provincial electoral district)|Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock]].<ref>[https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/mcguinty-calls-byelection-in-torys-riding/ "McGuinty calls byelection in Tory's riding"], [[CFTO-TV|CTV Toronto]], February 4, 2009.</ref>  He lost this by-election, and thereafter resigned as party leader. Runciman served as interim party leader as well as opposition leader until Hudak was chosen as the party leadership convention.

<sup>11</sup>  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 (Canadian politician)|Patrick Brown]] became party leader on May 9, 2015, until September when Brown won a seat in the legislature through a by-election.<ref name=bliz>{{cite news|title=Patrick Brown elected leader of Ontario Progressive Conservatives|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/09/ontario-progressive-conservatives-to-crown-new-leader|access-date=May 9, 2015|work=Toronto Sun|date=May 9, 2015}}</ref>

<sup>12</sup>  Vic Fedeli was chosen interim leader of the PC Party by caucus on January 26, 2018, one day after [[Patrick Brown (Canadian politician)|Patrick Brown]] resigned due to allegations of sexual misconduct. He continued to serve as Leader of the Opposition after [[Doug Ford Jr.|Doug Ford]] became party leader on March 10, 2018, as Ford did not have a seat in the legislature.

<sup>13</sup> Peter Tabuns was chosen as interim leader by the NDP caucus on June 28, 2022, following the resignation of [[Andrea Horwath]].

== List of deputy opposition leaders ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Deputy Leader
!Took office
!Left office
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Sean Conway (Canadian politician)|Sean Conway]]
|March 9, 1982
|March 25, 1985
|
|-
|September 17, 1991
|December 19, 1996
|
|-
|[[Sandra Pupatello]]
|June 6, 1999
|September 2, 2003
|
|-
|[[Elizabeth Witmer]]
|October 23, 2003
|July 27, 2009
|
|-
|[[Christine Elliott]]
|July 27, 2009
|August 28, 2015
|
|-
|[[Steve Clark (Canadian politician)|Steve Clark]]
| rowspan="2" |September 11, 2015
| rowspan="2" |May 8, 2018
| rowspan="2" |''Serving together''
|-
|[[Sylvia Jones]]
|-
|[[Sara Singh]]
| rowspan="2" |August 23, 2018
| rowspan="2" |July 13, 2022
| rowspan="2" |''Serving together''
|-
|[[John Vanthof]]
|-
|[[Doly Begum]]
| rowspan="2" |July 13, 2022
| rowspan="2" |''Incumbent''
| rowspan="2" |''Serving together''
|-
|[[Sol Mamakwa]]
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Ontario politics}}

[[Category:Politics of Ontario]]
[[Category:Leaders of the opposition of Canadian provinces and territories|Ontario]]