List of leaders of the Official Opposition of Quebec

This is a list of the leaders of the opposition party of Quebec, Canada since Confederation (1867).

Note that the leader of the Opposition is not always the leader of the political party with the second-largest number of seats, in cases where the leader of that party does not have a seat.

There was no Leader of the Official Opposition until March 1869, when the government's second budget was introduced.

Name	Electoral district (Region)	Took office	Left office	Party
Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière	Lotbinière (Chaudière-Appalaches)	1869	1878	Liberal
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau	Terrebonne (Lanaudière)	1878	1879	Conservative
Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière	Lotbinière (Chaudière-Appalaches)	1879	1883	Liberal
Honoré Mercier	Saint-Hyacinthe (Montérégie)	1883	1887	Liberal^[1]
Louis-Olivier Taillon	Montcalm (Lanaudière)	1887	1890	Conservative
Jean Blanchet	Beauce (Chaudière-Appalaches)	1890	1891	Conservative
Félix-Gabriel Marchand	Saint-Jean (Montérégie)	1892	1897	Liberal
Edmund James Flynn	Gaspé (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine) until 1900 Nicolet (Centre-du-Québec) after 1900	1897	1904	Conservative
Pierre-Évariste Leblanc^[2]	Laval (Laval)	1905	1908	Conservative
Joseph-Mathias Tellier	Joliette (Lanaudière)	1908	1915	Conservative
Philémon Cousineau^[3]	Jacques-Cartier (Montreal)	1915	1916	Conservative
Arthur Sauvé	Deux-Montagnes (Laurentides)	1916	1929	Conservative
Camillien Houde	Montréal-Sainte-Marie (Montreal)	1929	1931	Conservative
Charles Ernest Gault^[4]	Montréal-Saint-Georges (Montreal)	1931	1932	Conservative
Maurice Duplessis	Trois-Rivières (Mauricie)	1932	1936	Conservative^[5]
Télesphore-Damien Bouchard^[6]	Saint-Hyacinthe (Montérégie)	1936	1939	Liberal
Maurice Duplessis	Trois-Rivières (Mauricie)	1939	1944	Union Nationale
Adélard Godbout	L'Islet (Chaudière-Appalaches)	1944	1948	Liberal
George Carlyle Marler^[7]	Westmount-Saint-Georges (Montreal)	1948	1953	Liberal
Georges-Émile Lapalme^[8]	Montréal-Outremont (Montreal)	1953	1960	Liberal
Yves Prévost^[9]	Montmorency (Québec)	1960	1961	Union Nationale
Antonio Talbot^[10]	Chicoutimi (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)	1961	1961	Union Nationale
Daniel Johnson, Sr.	Bagot (Montérégie)	1961	1966	Union Nationale
Jean Lesage	Louis-Hébert (Québec)	1966	1970	Liberal
Robert Bourassa	Mercier (Montreal)	1970	1970	Liberal
Jean-Jacques Bertrand	Missisquoi (Eastern Townships)	1970	1971	Union Nationale
Gabriel Loubier	Bellechasse (Chaudière-Appalaches)	1971	1973	Union Nationale^[11]
Jacques-Yvan Morin^[12]	Sauvé (Montreal)	1973	1976	Parti Québécois
Gérard D. Levesque^[13]	Bonaventure (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine)	1976	1979	Liberal
Claude Ryan	Argenteuil (Laurentides)	1979	1982	Liberal
Gérard D. Levesque^[14]	Bonaventure (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine)	1982	1985	Liberal
Robert Bourassa	Bertrand (Montérégie)	1985	1985	Liberal
Pierre-Marc Johnson	Anjou (Montreal)	1985	1987	Parti Québécois
Guy Chevrette^[15]	Joliette (Lanaudière)	1987	1989	Parti Québécois
Jacques Parizeau	L'Assomption (Lanaudière)	1989	1994	Parti Québécois
Daniel Johnson, Jr.	Vaudreuil (Montérégie)	1994	1998	Liberal
Monique Gagnon-Tremblay^[16]	Saint-François (Eastern Townships)	1998	1998	Liberal
Jean Charest	Sherbrooke (Eastern Townships)	1998	2003	Liberal
Bernard Landry	Verchères (Montérégie)	2003	2005	Parti Québécois
Louise Harel^[17]	Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (Montreal)	2005	2006	Parti Québécois
André Boisclair	Pointe-aux-Trembles (Montreal)	2006	2007	Parti Québécois
Mario Dumont	Rivière-du-Loup (Bas-Saint-Laurent)	2007	2008	Action démocratique du Québec
Pauline Marois	Charlevoix (Capitale-Nationale)	2008	2012	Parti Québécois
Jean-Marc Fournier	Saint-Laurent (Montreal)	2012	2013	Liberal
Philippe Couillard	Outremont (Montreal)	2013	2014	Liberal
Stéphane Bédard^[18]	Chicoutimi (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)	2014	2015	Parti Québécois
Pierre Karl Péladeau	Saint-Jérôme (Laurentides)	2015	2016	Parti Québécois
Sylvain Gaudreault	Jonquière (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)	2016	2016	Parti Québécois
Jean-François Lisée	Rosemont (Montréal)	2016	2018	Parti Québécois
Pierre Arcand	Mont-Royal–Outremont (Montréal)	2018	2020	Liberal
Dominique Anglade	Saint-Henri–Sainte-Anne (Montréal)	2020	2022	Liberal
Marc Tanguay	LaFontaine (Montréal)	2022	present	Liberal

Footnotes

^ In the aftermath of the execution of Louis Riel, Honoré Mercier founded the Parti National, in order to bring Conservative dissidents to the Liberal Party. From 1885 to 1891, the Liberal Party is also called Parti National.
^ Pierre-Évariste Leblanc lost his seat to the legislature in 1908. Joseph-Mathias Tellier succeeded him as Conservative Leader.
^ Philémon Cousineau lost his seat to the legislature in 1916. Arthur Sauvé succeeded him as Conservative Leader.
^ Conservative Leader Camillien Houde lost his seat to the legislature. Charles Ernest Gault served as acting Leader.
^ In 1935, the Conservatives formed a coalition with the Action libérale nationale (ALN). The ALN ran 60 candidates and won 26 seats. The Conservatives ran 30 candidates and won 16 seats. However, Maurice Duplessis served as leader of the coalition and therefore remained Leader of the Opposition.
^ Liberal Leader Adélard Godbout lost his seat to the legislature and could not serve as Leader of the Opposition.
^ Liberal Leader Adélard Godbout lost his seat to the legislature. His successor, Georges-Émile Lapalme, was defeated in Joliette in 1952. George Marler served as Acting Leader of the Opposition until 1953, when Lapalme won a by-election.
^ Jean Lesage became Liberal Leader in 1958, but Georges-Émile Lapalme remained Leader of the opposition until Lesage won a seat to the legislature in 1960.
^ Following the resignation of Union Nationale Leader Antonio Barrette, Yves Prévost served as Acting Leader.
^ Following the resignation of Yves Prévost, Antonio Talbot served as Acting Leader.
^ From October 25, 1971 to January 14, 1973 the Union Nationale was called Unité Québec.
^ Parti Québécois Leader René Lévesque was defeated in Dorion and could not serve as Leader of the Opposition.
^ Liberal Leader Robert Bourassa lost his seat to the legislature. Gérard D. Levesque served as Acting Leader until Claude Ryan, who became leader in 1978, won a by-election.
^ Following the resignation of Claude Ryan, Gérard D. Levesque served as Acting Leader.
^ Following the resignation of Pierre Marc Johnson, Guy Chevrette served as Acting Leader and remained Leader of the opposition until new leader Jacques Parizeau won a seat to the legislature in 1989.
^ Monique Gagnon-Tremblay served as Acting Leader of the Opposition until Jean Charest won a seat to the legislature in 1998.
^ Following the resignation of Bernard Landry, Louise Harel served as Acting Leader and remained Leader of the opposition until new leader André Boisclair won a by-election.
^ Assumed the position of Leader of the Opposition as a result of party leader Premier Pauline Marois losing her seat in the general election and resigning as party leader. Bédard was interim leader until a new leader was elected in a leadership election in 2015.

External links

Les chefs de l'opposition officielle depuis 1869 (in French)

[1] In the aftermath of the execution of Louis Riel, Honoré Mercier founded the Parti National, in order to bring Conservative dissidents to the Liberal Party. From 1885 to 1891, the Liberal Party is also called Parti National.

[2] Pierre-Évariste Leblanc lost his seat to the legislature in 1908. Joseph-Mathias Tellier succeeded him as Conservative Leader.

[3] Philémon Cousineau lost his seat to the legislature in 1916. Arthur Sauvé succeeded him as Conservative Leader.

[4] Conservative Leader Camillien Houde lost his seat to the legislature. Charles Ernest Gault served as acting Leader.

[5] In 1935, the Conservatives formed a coalition with the Action libérale nationale (ALN). The ALN ran 60 candidates and won 26 seats. The Conservatives ran 30 candidates and won 16 seats. However, Maurice Duplessis served as leader of the coalition and therefore remained Leader of the Opposition.

[6] Liberal Leader Adélard Godbout lost his seat to the legislature and could not serve as Leader of the Opposition.

[7] Liberal Leader Adélard Godbout lost his seat to the legislature. His successor, Georges-Émile Lapalme, was defeated in Joliette in 1952. George Marler served as Acting Leader of the Opposition until 1953, when Lapalme won a by-election.

[8] Jean Lesage became Liberal Leader in 1958, but Georges-Émile Lapalme remained Leader of the opposition until Lesage won a seat to the legislature in 1960.

[9] Following the resignation of Union Nationale Leader Antonio Barrette, Yves Prévost served as Acting Leader.

[10] Following the resignation of Yves Prévost, Antonio Talbot served as Acting Leader.

[11] From October 25, 1971 to January 14, 1973 the Union Nationale was called Unité Québec.

[12] Parti Québécois Leader René Lévesque was defeated in Dorion and could not serve as Leader of the Opposition.

[13] Liberal Leader Robert Bourassa lost his seat to the legislature. Gérard D. Levesque served as Acting Leader until Claude Ryan, who became leader in 1978, won a by-election.

[14] Following the resignation of Claude Ryan, Gérard D. Levesque served as Acting Leader.

[15] Following the resignation of Pierre Marc Johnson, Guy Chevrette served as Acting Leader and remained Leader of the opposition until new leader Jacques Parizeau won a seat to the legislature in 1989.

[16] Monique Gagnon-Tremblay served as Acting Leader of the Opposition until Jean Charest won a seat to the legislature in 1998.

[17] Following the resignation of Bernard Landry, Louise Harel served as Acting Leader and remained Leader of the opposition until new leader André Boisclair won a by-election.

[18] Assumed the position of Leader of the Opposition as a result of party leader Premier Pauline Marois losing her seat in the general election and resigning as party leader. Bédard was interim leader until a new leader was elected in a leadership election in 2015.

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List of leaders of the Official Opposition of Quebec

Footnotes

See also

External links