Opposition House Leader

The Opposition House Leader (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.

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.

New Democratic Party

 * Stanley Knowles 1962–1984
 * Ian Deans 1984–1986 (acting 1981–1984)
 * Nelson Riis 1986–1994
 * Len Taylor 1994–1996
 * Bill Blaikie 1996–2003
 * Libby Davies 2003–2011
 * Official Opposition 2011–2015
 * Peter Julian 2015–2016
 * Murray Rankin 2016–2018
 * Ruth Ellen Brosseau 2018–2019
 * Peter Julian 2019–present

Reform Party

 * Elwin Hermanson 1993–1995
 * Raymond Speaker 1995–1997
 * Official Opposition after 1997

Progressive Conservative Party

 * Government or Official Opposition before 1993
 * None 1993–1997
 * Peter MacKay 1997–2002
 * Loyola Hearn 2002–2004

Bloc Quebecois

 * Official Opposition 1993–1997
 * Michel Gauthier 1997–2007
 * Pierre Paquette 2007–2011
 * Louis Plamondon 2011–2013
 * André Bellavance 2013–2014
 * Jean-François Fortin 2014
 * Louis Plamondon 2014–2015
 * Luc Thériault 2015–2019
 * Alain Therrien 2019–present

Liberal Party

 * Government or Official Opposition before 2011
 * Marc Garneau 2011–2012
 * Dominic LeBlanc 2012–2015

External link

 * Opposition House Leader - Library of Parliament
 * Opposition House Leader - Library of Parliament