The Opposition House Leader (French: Leader à la Chambre de l'opposition), officially known as leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons of Canada, is a member of the Official Opposition, not to be confused with the Leader of the Official Opposition, but is generally a senior member of the frontbench. The House Leader is responsible for questioning the Government House Leader on the forthcoming business of the House of Commons, negotiating with the Government House Leader and other parties' house leaders on the progress of business in the House, and managing the Official Opposition's business in the House of Commons.

Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons
Leader à la Chambre des communes de l'opposition officielle
Incumbent
Andrew Scheer
since September 13, 2022
Member ofHouse of Commons of Canada
AppointerLeader of the Official Opposition
Inaugural holderLionel Chevrier
FormationOctober 14, 1957
Salary$255,300 (2017)

The position of Opposition House Leader evolved in the 1950s as each Opposition party began to designate a particular MP to question the Government House Leader on upcoming House business. The title of Opposition House Leader became official in 1963, and in 1974, a special annual indemnity was attached to the position of House Leader in each of the opposition parties. The House Leader also coordinates the Official Opposition's floor strategy, often with the House leaders of smaller opposition parties. The position is particularly important when there is a minority government, or a government with a slim majority, which may be defeated by a vote of no confidence if all opposition parties work together.

Notable Opposition House leaders include Herb Gray of the Liberal Party (also a Government House Leader) and Erik Nielsen of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Notable House leaders of other recognized parties include New Democratic Party MPs Stanley Knowles, who was the House Leader for the NDP from 1962 to 1981, and Bill Blaikie, who held the same position from 1996 until 2003.

List of Official Opposition House leaders

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Portrait Name[1]
Electoral district
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Leader of the opposition
Term start Term end
  Lionel Chevrier
MP for Laurier
(1903–1987)
October 14,
1957
February 5,
1963
Liberal Louis St. Laurent
Lester B. Pearson
  Gordon Churchill
MP for Winnipeg South Centre
(1898–1985)
May 16,
1963
April 21,
1965
Progressive Conservative John Diefenbaker
  Michael Starr
MP for Ontario
(1910–2000)
April 22,
1965
April 23,
1968
Progressive Conservative Robert Stanfield
Ged Baldwin
MP for Peace River
(1907–1991)
July 27,
1968
September 20,
1973
Progressive Conservative
Thomas Miller Bell
MP for Saint John—Lancaster
(1923–1996)
September 21,
1973
May 9,
1974
Progressive Conservative
Ged Baldwin
MP for Peace River
(1907–1991)
August 14,
1974
February 24,
1976
Progressive Conservative
Walter Baker
MP for Grenville—Carleton
(1930–1983)
February 25,
1976
March 26,
1979
Progressive Conservative Joe Clark
  Allan MacEachen
MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso
(1921–2017)
October 9,
1979
December 14,
1979
Liberal Pierre Trudeau
Walter Baker
MP for Nepean—Carleton
(1930–1983)
April 14,
1980
September 8,
1981
Progressive Conservative Joe Clark
Erik Nielsen
MP for Yukon
(1924–2008)
September 9,
1981
February 8,
1983
Progressive Conservative
Doug Lewis
MP for Simcoe North
(born 1938)
February 10,
1983
September 6,
1983
Progressive Conservative Erik Nielsen
Erik Nielsen
MP for Yukon
(1924–2008)
September 7,
1983
April 5,
1984
Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney
Ray Hnatyshyn
MP for Saskatoon West
(1934–2002)
April 6,
1984
July 9,
1984
Progressive Conservative
  Herb Gray
MP for Windsor West
(1931–2014)
September 18,
1984
February 7,
1990
Liberal John Turner
Jean-Robert Gauthier
MP for Ottawa—Vanier
(1929–2009)
February 7,
1990
January 29,
1991
Liberal Herb Gray
David Dingwall
MP for Cape Breton—East Richmond
(born 1952)
January 30,
1991
May 8,
1993
Liberal Jean Chrétien
  Michel Gauthier
MP for Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean
(1950–2020)
November 10,
1993
February 17,
1996
Bloc Québécois Lucien Bouchard
Gilles Duceppe
  Gilles Duceppe
MP for Laurier—Sainte-Marie
(born 1947)
February 17,
1996
March 15,
1997
Bloc Québécois Michel Gauthier
Suzanne Tremblay
MP for Rimouski—Témiscouata
(1937–2020)
March 17,
1997
April 25,
1997
Bloc Québécois Gilles Duceppe
Randy White
MP for Langley—Abbotsford
(born 1948)
June 20,
1997
January 30,
2000
Reform Preston Manning
  Chuck Strahl
MP for Fraser Valley
(1957–2024)
January 31,
2000
April 24,
2001
Reform
Canadian Alliance
Deborah Grey
  John Reynolds
MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast
(born 1942)
April 24,
2001
December 17,
2001
Canadian Alliance Stockwell Day
Randy White
MP for Langley—Abbotsford
(born 1948)
December 18,
2001
April 3,
2002
Canadian Alliance John Reynolds
  John Reynolds
MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast
(born 1942)
April 4,
2002
December 22,
2003
Canadian Alliance Stephen Harper
Loyola Hearn
MP for St. John's West
(born 1943)
January 8,
2004
March 21,
2004
Conservative Grant Hill
  John Reynolds
MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast
(born 1942)
March 22,
2004
January 27,
2005
Conservative Stephen Harper
  Jay Hill
MP for Prince George—Peace River
(born 1952)
January 28,
2005
February 5,
2006
Conservative
  Ralph Goodale
MP for Wascana
(born 1949)
February 10,
2006
September 6,
2010
Liberal Bill Graham
Stéphane Dion
Michael Ignatieff
  David McGuinty
MP for Ottawa South
(born 1960)
September 7,
2010
March 26,
2011
Liberal
  Tom Mulcair
MP for Outremont
(born 1954)
May 26,
2011
October 12,
2011
New Democratic Jack Layton
Nycole Turmel
  Joe Comartin
MP for Windsor—Tecumseh
(born 1947)
October 13,
2011
April 19,
2012
New Democratic
Tom Mulcair
  Nathan Cullen
MP for Skeena—Bulkley Valley
(born 1972)
April 20,
2012
March 20,
2014
New Democratic
  Peter Julian
MP for Burnaby—New Westminster
(born 1962)
March 24,
2014
October 20,
2015
New Democratic
  Andrew Scheer
MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle
(born 1979)
November 18,
2015
September 13,
2016
Conservative Rona Ambrose
  Candice Bergen
MP for Portage—Lisgar
(born 1964)
September 15,
2016
September 2,
2020
Conservative
Andrew Scheer
Erin O'Toole
  Gérard Deltell
MP for Louis-Saint-Laurent
(born 1964)
September 2,
2020
February 4,
2022
Conservative
  John Brassard
MP for Barrie—Innisfil
(born 1964)
February 5,
2022
September 12,
2022
Conservative Candice Bergen
  Andrew Scheer
MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle
(born 1979)
September 13,
2022
Incumbent Conservative Pierre Poilievre

List of House leaders of other recognized parties

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New Democratic Party

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Reform Party

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Progressive Conservative Party

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Bloc Quebecois

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Liberal Party

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Officers and Officials of Parliament: Opposition House Leaders
  2. ^ "Profile: Garneau, Marc". Parlinfo. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  3. ^ "Profile: LeBlanc, Dominic". Parlinfo. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
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