Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)

Leader of the Official Opposition
Chef de l'Opposition officielle
since September 10, 2022
StyleThe Honourable
Member ofParliament
ResidenceStornoway
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest party not in government
Inaugural holderAlexander Mackenzie
FormationMarch 6, 1873
DeputyMelissa Lantsman
Tim Uppal
SalaryCA$299,900 (2024)[1]

The leader of the Official Opposition (French: chef de l'Opposition officielle), formally known as the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition (French: chef de la loyale opposition de Sa Majesté), is the politician who leads the Official Opposition in Canada, typically the leader of the party possessing the most seats in the House of Commons that is not the governing party or part of the governing coalition.

Pierre Poilievre has been the leader of the Opposition since September 10, 2022, when he was elected leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, following the 2022 leadership election. He succeeded Candice Bergen, who had served as the party's interim leader from February 2, 2022. She had succeeded former permanent leader Erin O'Toole when the party declared non-confidence in his leadership.[2]

Though the leader of the Opposition must be a member of the House of Commons,[3] 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. If the leader of the opposition party is not a member of Parliament (MP), then a sitting MP acts as parliamentary leader and assumes the role of the leader of the Opposition until the party leader can obtain a seat.

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 fourteenth 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.

The term leader of the opposition is used in the Parliament of Canada Act[4] and the Standing Orders of the House of Commons,[5] as is the term official opposition.[6] The terms leader of the loyal opposition, his majesty's opposition,[7] and loyal opposition are sometimes used,[8] 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 Canada—as the nonpartisan personification of the nation and the state's authority—even as its members oppose the governing party.[7]

Two leaders of the Opposition have died in office: Wilfrid Laurier in 1919 and Jack Layton in 2011.[9][NB 1]

  1. ^ "Justin Trudeau's pay will top $400K on April 1 as politicians get raises". Global News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Conservatives elect Candice Bergen as interim party leader - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Role of Opposition Parties in Canada Archived March 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Compendium of Procedure, House of Commons of Canada.
  4. ^ Parliament of Canada Act, RSC 1985, c. P-1, s. 50(2), 62, 62.3, 63(2).
  5. ^ House of Commons (2017), Bosc, Marc; Gagnon, André (eds.), "Appendix 14: Standing Orders of the House of Commons", 43(1), 50(2), 74(1), 81(4), 84(7), 101(3) (3 ed.), archived from the original on September 13, 2022, retrieved September 13, 2022
  6. ^ House of Commons 2017, p. 35(2), 45(5), 73(1), 83(2), 106(2), 114(2)
  7. ^ a b Boyko, John (November 10, 2022), "Opposition Party in Canada", The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, archived from the original on March 9, 2023, retrieved March 9, 2023
  8. ^ House of Commons 2017, p. Note 190
  9. ^ McGregor, Janyce (August 22, 2011). "Parliament and Layton's passing". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.


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