View source for Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Canada)

{{Short description|Canadian Parliamentary position}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox official post
|post            = Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
|body            = 
|flag =
|flagcaption = Flag of the Senate of Canada
|insigniasize    = 
|insigniacaption = 
|native_name     = <small>''Chef de l'opposition au Sénat''</small>
| image              = [[File:Leo Housakos - 2023 (59168) (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|incumbent       = [[Leo Housakos]]
|incumbentsince = May 14, 2025
|style           = [[The Honourable]]
|member_of       = [[Senate of Canada]]
|residence       = 
|appointer       = Elected by the caucus of the official opposition in the Senate
|termlength      = 
|formation       = 1 July 1867
|succession      = 
|inaugural       = [[Luc Letellier de St-Just]]
|deputy          = Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Senate
|salary          = $223,900 (2024)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Salaries|title=Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances|publisher=Parliament of Canada}}</ref>
|website         = 
}}
{{Canadian politics}}
In [[Canada]], the '''leader of the Opposition in the Senate''' ({{langx|fr|Chef de l'opposition au Sénat}}) is the leader of the largest party in the [[Senate of Canada|Canadian Senate]] not in government.

Even though the position's name is very similar to the [[leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons]] (the Opposition House leader), the leader of the Opposition in the Senate's role is more analogous to the [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|leader of the Official Opposition]] because its holder is the leader of the party's Senate caucus. The responsibilities that, in the House of Commons, are done by the house leaders—including day-to-day scheduling of business—are undertaken in the Senate by Government and Opposition deputy leaders and Opposition whips.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Senate/Factsheets/leadership-e.htm |title=Senate of Canada - Fact Sheet - Key roles in the Senate |publisher=Parl.gc.ca |access-date=November 8, 2012}}</ref>

== Selection ==

Since it is the [[House of Commons of Canada]] that determines what party(ies) form government, the size of party [[caucus]]es in the Senate bear no relation to which party forms the government side in the Senate and which party forms the opposition. Thus, the leader of the Opposition in the Senate may lead more [[Senate of Canada|Senators]] than the [[Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada)|leader of the Government in the Senate]]. Since senators normally have longer tenure than MPs, this is often the case immediately following a change in government, until the new prime minister can appoint more people from their party.

There are no set rules governing the manner in which the position is filled from within caucuses.  When the Conservative Party (and its predecessor, the Progressive Conservative Party) have been in opposition, the party's Senate caucus has historically elected its own leader, although as noted by John Williams in a 1956 book on the Conservative Party, it may choose to follow the wishes of the national leader.<ref>John R. Williams, The Conservative Party of Canada 1920 to 1949, Duke University Press, 1956, pg. 193.</ref> The traditional practice of the Liberal party in opposition had been for the party leader to select their leader in the Senate.

The leader of the Opposition in the Senate is not necessarily from the same party as the opposition in the House of Commons. From 1993 until 2003, the leader of the Opposition in the Senate was a [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]], though the Progressive Conservatives were not the Official Opposition in the House of Commons; this was because the [[Official Opposition]] in the Commons ([[Bloc Québécois]], [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform]], [[Canadian Alliance]]) did not have Senate representation. This scenario repeated itself following the results of the [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011 election]] that saw the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] lose Official Opposition status in the House to the [[New Democratic Party of Canada|New Democratic Party]], but since the NDP had no representation in the Senate, the Liberals continued to form the Official Opposition in the Senate.

The Official Opposition also does not need to be linked to a party in the Commons. This was determined on January 29, 2014, after Liberal Party leader [[Justin Trudeau]] announced that all Liberal Senators would no longer be members of the national Liberal caucus. When the Senate met in the afternoon, Senator [[Jim Cowan]] informed the Senate that the Liberal Senators intended to self-designate as Liberals, as well as sit and act together as a caucus. Following a lengthy discussion, the Senate Speaker ruled that the Liberal Senators met the definition under the Senate rules of being a caucus of at least five Senators of the same political party, that the rules state that the leader of the Opposition in the Senate is the head of the party other than the government party with the most Senators, and that "as has been indicated by Senator Cowan, he has been elected by his colleagues and, therefore, meets the definition of the leader of the Opposition in the Senate."  (Debates of the Senate, January 29, 2014).

== {{anchor|List}} List of leaders of the Opposition in the Senate ==

{{sticky header}} 
{|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header-multi" style=text-align:left" style="margin:1em auto;"
|-
! rowspan="2" |No.
! rowspan="2" | Portrait
! rowspan="2" width="200px" | Name<ref>{{cite web |title=Political Officers - Senate - Leaders of the Opposition 1867 to Date |url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/compilations/OfficersAndOfficials/PoliticalOfficers/Senate/LeadersOfTheOpposition.aspx?Language=E |work=Parliament of Canada}}</ref><br>{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! colspan="2" | Term of office
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party
|-
! width="95"|{{small|Took office}}
! width="95"|{{small|Left office}}
|-
|'''1'''
|[[File:Luc Letellier de Saint-Just.jpg|103x103px]]
|'''[[Luc Letellier de St-Just]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Grandville|Grandville, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1820–1881)</small>
|July 1,<br />1867
|November 5,<br />1873
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
| width="100px" |[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''2'''
|[[File:Sir Alexander Campbell.jpg|126x126px]]
|'''[[Alexander Campbell (Canadian senator)|Alexander Campbell]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Cataraqui, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1822–1892)</small>
|November 5,<br />1873
|October 8,<br />1878
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''3'''
|[[File:Sir Richard William Scott.jpg|106x106px]]
|[[Richard William Scott|Sir '''Richard William Scott''']]<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Ottawa, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1825–1913)</small>
|October 8,<br />1878
|April 27,<br>1896
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''4'''
|[[File:SirMackenzieBowell.jpg|109x109px]]
|[[Mackenzie Bowell|Sir '''Mackenzie Bowell''']]<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Hastings, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1823–1917)</small>
|April 27,<br>1896
|March 1,<br>1906
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''5'''<br/>(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|[[File:James Alexander Lougheed (cropped).jpg|105x105px]]
|'''[[James Alexander Lougheed]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Alberta senators|Calgary, Alberta]]</small><br><small>(1854–1925)</small>
|April 1,<br>1906
|October 6,<br />1911
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''6'''
|[[File:Cartwright Richard John (Topley photograph).jpg|106x106px]]
|[[Richard John Cartwright|Sir '''Richard John Cartwright''']]<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Oxford, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1835–1912)</small>
|October 6,<br />1911
|September 24,<br>1912
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''7'''
|[[File:Honourable GW Ross, Prime Minister for Ontario (HS85-10-12129).jpg|114x114px]]
|[[George William Ross|Sir '''George William Ross''']]<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Middlesex, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1841–1914)</small>
|September 24,<br>1912
|March 7,<br>1914
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''8'''<br/>(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|[[File:Hewitt Bostock.png|112x112px]]
|'''[[Hewitt Bostock]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of British Columbia senators|Kamloops, British Columbia]]</small><br><small>(1864–1930)</small>
|March 19,<br>1914
|January 1,<br />1919
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''9'''<br/>(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;3)
|[[File:Raoul Dandurand 1 (cropped).jpg|122x122px]]
|'''[[Raoul Dandurand]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#De Lorimier|De Lorimier, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1861–1942)</small>
|January 1,<br />1919
|December 31,<br />1919
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''8'''<br/>(2&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|[[File:Hewitt Bostock.png|112x112px]]
|'''[[Hewitt Bostock]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of British Columbia senators|Kamloops, British Columbia]]</small><br><small>(1864–1930)</small>
|January 1,<br />1920
|December 28,<br />1921
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''5'''<br/>(2&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|[[File:James Alexander Lougheed (cropped).jpg|106x106px]]
|[[James Alexander Lougheed|Sir '''James Alexander Lougheed''']]<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Alberta senators|Calgary, Alberta]]</small><br><small>(1854–1925)</small>
|December 28,<br />1921
|November 2,<br />1925
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''10'''<br/>(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|
|'''[[William Benjamin Ross]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#De Lorimier|De Lorimier, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1855–1929)</small>
|January 1,<br />1926
|June 28,<br>1926
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''9'''<br/>(2&nbsp;of&nbsp;3)
|[[File:Raoul Dandurand 1 (cropped).jpg|122x122px]]
|'''[[Raoul Dandurand]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#De Lorimier|De Lorimier, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1861–1942)</small>
|June 29,<br>1926
|December 31,<br />1926
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''10'''<br/>(2&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|
|'''[[William Benjamin Ross]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#De Lorimier|De Lorimier, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1855–1929)</small>
|December 31,<br />1926
|January 10,<br />1929
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''11'''
|
|'''[[Wellington Willoughby]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Saskatchewan senators|Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan]]</small><br><small>(1859–1932)</small>
|January 11,<br />1929
|August 7,<br />1930
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|'''9'''<br/>(3&nbsp;of&nbsp;3)
|[[File:Raoul Dandurand 1 (cropped).jpg|122x122px]]
|'''[[Raoul Dandurand]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#De Lorimier|De Lorimier, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1861–1942)</small>
|August 7,<br />1930
|October 22,<br />1935
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''12'''
|[[File:Former PM Arthur Meighen.jpg|103x103px]]
|'''[[Arthur Meighen]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|St. Mary's, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1874–1960)</small>
|October 22,<br />1935
|January 16,<br />1942
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''13'''
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Charles Ballantyne.jpg|105x105px]]
| rowspan="2" |'''[[Charles Ballantyne]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Alma|Alma, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1867–1950)</small>
| rowspan="2" |January 16,<br />1942
| rowspan="2" |September 11,<br>1945
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservative]]
|-
|style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; " |
|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
|'''14'''
|
|'''[[John Thomas Haig]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Manitoba senators|Winnipeg, Manitoba]]</small><br><small>(1877–1962)</small>
|September 12,<br>1945
|June 20,<br>1957
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; " |
|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
|'''15'''
|[[File:William Ross Macdonald.jpg|115x115px]]
|'''[[William Ross Macdonald]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Brantford, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1891–1976)</small>
|June 20,<br>1957
|April 21,<br>1963
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''16'''
|
|'''[[Alfred Johnson Brooks]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of New Brunswick senators|Royal, New Brunswick]]</small><br><small>(1890–1967)</small>
|April 22,<br>1963
|October 31,<br>1967
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; " |
|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
|'''17'''<br/>(1&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|
|'''[[Jacques Flynn]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Rougemont|Rougemont, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1915–2000)</small>
|October 31,<br>1967
|June 3,<br>1979
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; " |
|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
|'''18'''
|
|'''[[Ray Perrault]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of British Columbia senators|North Shore-Burnaby, British Columbia]]</small><br><small>(1926–2008)</small>
|June 3,<br>1979
|March 2,<br>1980
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''17'''<br/>(2&nbsp;of&nbsp;2)
|
|'''[[Jacques Flynn]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Rougemont|Rougemont, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1915–2000)</small>
|March 3,<br>1980
|September 16,<br>1984
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; " |
|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
|'''19'''
|[[File:Allan MacEachen.jpg|122x122px]]
|'''[[Allan MacEachen]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Nova Scotia senators|Highlands-Canso, Nova Scotia]]</small><br><small>(1921–2017)</small>
|September 16,<br>1984
|November 30,<br />1991
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''20'''
|
|'''[[Royce Frith]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Ontario senators|Glen Tay, Ontario]]</small><br><small>(1923–2005)</small>
|November 30,<br />1991
|October 25,<br>1993
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''21'''
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |'''[[John Lynch-Staunton]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Grandville|Grandville, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(1930–2012)</small>
| rowspan="2" |October 25,<br>1993
| rowspan="2" |September 30,<br>2004
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|PC}}; " |
|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]]
|-
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
|-
|'''22'''
|[[File:Noël Kinsella Senate of Poland 01.JPG|106x106px]]
|'''[[Noël Kinsella]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of New Brunswick senators|Fredericton-York-Sunbury, New Brunswick]]</small><br><small>(1939–2023)</small>
|October 1,<br>2004
|February 7,<br />2006
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
|-
|'''23'''
|
|'''[[Dan Hays]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Alberta senators|Calgary, Alberta]]</small><br><small>(born 1939)</small>
|February 8,<br />2006
|January 18,<br />2007
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
|'''24'''
|[[File:Céline Hervieux-Payette (cropped).jpg|108x108px]]
|'''[[Céline Hervieux-Payette]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Bedford|Bedford, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(born 1941)</small>
|January 18,<br />2007
|November 3,<br />2008
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''25'''
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |'''[[Jim Cowan]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Nova Scotia senators|Nova Scotia]]</small><br><small>(born 1942)</small>
| rowspan="2" |November 3,<br />2008
| rowspan="2" |November 5,<br />2015
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal}}; " |
|[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
|-
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Senate Liberal}}; " |
|[[Senate Liberal Caucus]]
|-
|'''26'''
|
|'''[[Claude Carignan]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Mille Isles|Mille Isles, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(born 1964)</small>
|November 5,<br />2015
|March 31,<br>2017
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
|-
|'''27'''
|
|[[Larry Smith (Canadian politician)|'''Larry Smith''']]<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Quebec senators#Saurel|Saurel, Quebec]]</small><br><small>(born 1951)</small>
|April 1,<br>2017
|November 5,<br />2019
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
|-
|'''28'''
|[[File:Donald Plett - 2015 (16081671487) (cropped).jpg|108x108px]]
|'''[[Don Plett]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[List of Manitoba senators|Manitoba]]</small><br><small>(born 1950)</small>
|November 5,<br />2019
|May 14,<br>2025
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
|-
|'''29'''
|[[File:Leo Housakos - 2023 (59168) (cropped).jpg|108x108px]]
|'''[[Leo Housakos]]'''<br /><small>Senator for [[Quebec]] ([[List of Quebec senators#Wellington|Wellington]])</small><br><small>(born 1968)</small>
|May 14,<br />2025
|''Incumbent''
| style="background:{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}; " |
|[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
|}

== See also ==

*[[Representative of the Government in the Senate]]
*[[Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons (Canada)]]
*[[Leader of the Opposition (Canada)]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

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{{Official Opposition in Canada}}

[[Category:Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader, Senate]]
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