Talk:List of leaders of the Official Opposition (Canada)

Edward Blake
Edward Blake was recognized as leader of the opposition from sometime in 1869 - 1871

Get Rid of the Numbers
It's extremely confusing just looking at this list without having to see numbers beside the names. Just get rid of the numbers as it is going to be debated whether the acting Opposition Leaders should be counted.

I think we should have the numbers, just like how we number the Prime Ministers. I do, however think that we have to come to a consensus on who gets to be numbered. Can someone tell me why acting leaders are not counted, yet interim ones are? I think either they both should be or they both shouldn't be unless this numbering is in some way official. -arctic gnome 04:35, 29 March 2006 (UTC)


 * The government's history website lists acting leaders the same way they list intrem leaders, so I'm changing it here. -arctic gnome 06:57, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

There is actually no such thing as an "interim leader of the opposition". Interim Leaders of parties in opposition normally are leader of the opposition, but the House does not recognize a difference between a permanent leader of a party serving as leader of the opposition, an interim leader acting as such or even a parliamentary leader acting as such. Acting leader's of the opposition do not count however as there is an actual office holder of the opposition leader at that time who simply cannot exercise his or her duties. For instance, Sheila Copps was acting leader of the opposition in 1991 when Chretien had health problems. - Jord 00:00, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

Source
Can anyone give a good source for this information? The best I can find is the Library of Parliament, but it only goes back to 1957. --Arctic Gnome 15:37, 14 May 2006 (UTC)

Interim Leader of the Opposition??
There's no such thing. An interim party leader serves as leader of the opposition, as much as a party leader. GoodDay (talk) 22:09, 9 December 2008 (UTC)
 * True, though I think the fact that they were interim or acting party leaders is relevant. The interim and acting statuses should be moved from the numbering column to a "notes" column.  --Arctic Gnome (talk • contribs) 23:57, 9 December 2008 (UTC)
 * And the numbering column should be re-numbered. GoodDay (talk) 00:50, 10 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Also, someone serving in place of a party leader who has no seat in the House of Commons, is also a Leader of the Opposition. GoodDay (talk) 00:55, 10 December 2008 (UTC)

Interims and numbers
Why are McKenzie, Hanson, Duceppe, Grey, Hill, and Graham listed as interim leader, but Ignatieff isn't? 117Avenue (talk) 20:01, 11 May 2011 (UTC)
 * They shouldn't be, they were Leaders of the Opposition. See Graham bio article's infobox, for example. GoodDay (talk) 20:03, 11 May 2011 (UTC)

Are there any sources which refer to a Leader of the Opposition by their number, like the Prime Minister? 117Avenue (talk) 22:57, 11 May 2011 (UTC)
 * I don't think so. GoodDay (talk) 01:35, 12 May 2011 (UTC)

Has there been no opposition (no pun intended) to the changes I have made? Then I would like to propose removing the unreferenced information, and add a column to show the terms of PMs. 117Avenue (talk) 06:16, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Since there's been no comments on this, I've gone ahead. 117Avenue (talk) 01:15, 22 May 2011 (UTC)

Date of start of Nycole Turmel's mandate
Shouldn't Nycole Turmel's mandate as leader of the opposition start at the date where she was appointed (July 25th, 2011) instead of the date of his death, as she had assumed this position as of that date? Luckystrikes (talk) 19:16, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
 * No. Layton was still leader of the party and Leader of the Opposition after her appointment as interim leader. She only became Leader of the Opposition on his death. -Rrius (talk) 20:19, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Why do we have her becoming OL on August 23? Layton died on August 22. These 'midnight' change dates are annoying. GoodDay (talk) 05:34, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

Trudeau's term
The line beginning Trudeau's prime ministership needs to be higher, so that it includes Stanfield as opposition leader. I don't know how to do this.

I assume Mulcair will be added now? 206.116.243.76 (talk) 17:48, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

Wow, that was fast. Seconds after my comment about Mulcair, he's on the page! Wikimpressive! 206.116.243.76 (talk) 17:50, 25 March 2012 (UTC)


 * Stanfield's row does include Pearson and Trudeau. According to the timestamps, Mulcair was added to the list 16 hours before your comment, and to the lead 2 hours after that. 117Avenue (talk) 03:07, 26 March 2012 (UTC)

Female leaders of the opposition
It wrongly listed Deborah Grey as the first of two, she was the first of three (followed by Nycole Turmel of the NDP and Rona Ambrose of the Conservative Party, both interim leaders of their respective parties). Chris-Gilmore77 (talk) 11:52, 4 April 2017 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 19:52, 20 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Andrew Scheer portrait hanging (crop1).jpg