Appendix 7: Leaders of the Opposition in the House of Commons Since 1873

The Member who is the leader of the largest party sitting in opposition to the Government in the House of Commons becomes the “Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition”. Provisions governing the position are defined in the Parliament of Canada Act, in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons and in various practices of the House. To become the Leader of the Opposition, a person must hold a seat in the House of Commons.

Name Party Period Parliament
1. Alexander Mackenzie
Liberal
18731
1st2nd Session, 2nd Parliament
2. Sir John A. Macdonald
Liberal-Conservative
1873–78
2nd Session, 2nd Parliament to
3rd Parliament
3. Alexander Mackenzie
Liberal
1878–80
1st2nd Session, 4th Parliament
4. Edward Blake
Liberal
1880–87
2nd Session, 4th Parliament to
1st Session, 6th Parliament
5. Wilfrid Laurier
Liberal
1887–96
1st Session, 6th Parliament to
7th Parliament
6. Sir Charles Tupper
Conservative
1896–1901
8th Parliament
7. Robert Borden
Conservative
1901–11
9th Parliament to
11th Parliament
8. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Liberal
1911–19
12th Parliament to
1st Session, 13th Parliament
9. Daniel McKenzie
Liberal
1919
2nd Session, 13th Parliament
10. W.L. Mackenzie King
Liberal
1919–21
3rd5th Session, 13th Parliament
11. Arthur Meighen
Conservative
1921–26
14th Parliament to
1st Session, 15th Parliament
12. W.L. Mackenzie King
Liberal
1926
1st Session, 15th Parliament
13. Hugh Guthrie
Conservative
1926–27
1st Session, 16th Parliament
14. R.B. Bennett
Conservative
1927–30
2nd4th Session, 16th Parliament
15. W.L. Mackenzie King
Liberal
1930–35
17th Parliament
16. R.B. Bennett
Conservative
1935–38
1st3rd Session, 18th Parliament
17. Robert J. Manion
Conservative
1938–40
4th6th Session, 18th Parliament
18. Richard B. Hanson
Conservative
1940–43
1st3rd Session, 19th Parliament
19. Gordon Graydon
Progressive Conservative
1943–45
4th6th Session, 19th Parliament
20. John Bracken
Progressive Conservative
1945–48
1st4th Session, 20th Parliament
21. George Drew
Progressive Conservative
1948–54
5th Session, 20th Parliament to
1st Session, 22nd Parliament
22. W. Earl Rowe
Progressive Conservative
1954–55
2nd Session, 22nd Parliament
23. George Drew
Progressive Conservative
1955–56
2nd3rd Session, 22nd Parliament
24. W. Earl Rowe
Progressive Conservative
1956
3rd4th Session, 22nd Parliament
25. John Diefenbaker
Progressive Conservative
1956–57
4th5th Session, 22nd Parliament
26. Louis St-Laurent
Liberal
1957–58
1st Session, 23rd Parliament
27. Lester B. Pearson
Liberal
1958–63
1st Session, 23rd Parliament to
25th Parliament
28. John Diefenbaker
Progressive Conservative
1963–67
26th Parliament to
2nd Session, 27th Parliament
29. Michael Starr
Progressive Conservative
1967
2nd Session, 27th Parliament
30. Robert Stanfield
Progressive Conservative
1967–76
2nd Session, 27th Parliament to
1st Session, 30th Parliament
31. Joseph Clark
Progressive Conservative
1976–79
1st4th Session, 30th Parliament
32. Pierre E. Trudeau
Liberal
1979–80
31st Parliament
33. Joseph Clark
Progressive Conservative
1980–83
1st Session, 32nd Parliament
34. Erik Nielsen
Progressive Conservative
1983
1st Session, 32nd Parliament
35. Brian Mulroney
Progressive Conservative
1983–84
1st2nd Session, 32nd Parliament
36. John Turner
Liberal
1984–90
33rd Parliament to
2nd Session, 34th Parliament
37. Herb Gray
Liberal
1990
2nd Session, 34th Parliament
38. Jean Chrétien
Liberal
1990–93
2nd3rd Session, 34th Parliament
39. Lucien Bouchard
Bloc Québécois
1993–96
1st Session, 35th Parliament
40. Gilles Duceppe
Bloc Québécois
1996
1st Session, 35th Parliament
41. Michel Gauthier
Bloc Québécois
1996–97
2nd Session, 35th Parliament
42. Gilles Duceppe
Bloc Québécois
1997
2nd Session, 35th Parliament
43. Preston Manning
Reform
1997–2000
1st2nd Session, 36th Parliament
44. Deborah Grey
Canadian Alliance
2000
2nd Session, 36th Parliament
45. Stockwell Day
Canadian Alliance
2000–01
2nd Session, 36th Parliament to
1st Session, 37th Parliament
46. John Reynolds
Canadian Alliance
2001–02
1st Session, 37th Parliament
47. Stephen Harper
Canadian Alliance
2002–04
1st2nd Session, 37th Parliament
48. Grant Hill
Conservative
2004
3rd Session, 37th Parliament
49. Stephen Harper
Conservative
2004–06
3rd Session, 37th Parliament to
38th Parliament
50. Bill Graham
Liberal
2006
1st Session, 39th Parliament
51. Stéphane Dion
Liberal
2006–08
1st Session, 39th Parliament to
1st Session, 40th Parliament
52. Michael Ignatieff
Liberal
2008–11
2nd–3rd Session, 40th Parliament
53. Jack Layton
New Democrat
2011
1st Session, 41st Parliament
54. Nycole Turmel
New Democrat
2011–12
1st Session, 41st Parliament
55. Thomas J. Mulcair
New Democrat
2012–15
1st–2nd Session, 41st Parliament
56. Rona Ambrose
Conservative
2015–17
1st Session, 42nd Parliament
57. Andrew Scheer
Conservative
2017–Present
1st Session, 42nd Parliament to Present