Leader of the Opposition (Australia)
{{Short description|Australian parliamentary position}}
{{Featured list}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Leader of the Opposition
| insignia = Coat_of_Arms_of_Australia.svg
| insigniacaption = Commonwealth Coat of Arms
| flag = Flag of Australia (converted).svg
| flagcaption = Flag of Australia
| flagborder = yes
| image = Sussan Ley (Sept 21) (cropped).png
| imagesize =
| incumbent = Sussan Ley
| incumbentsince = 13 May 2025
| department = Opposition of Australia
Shadow Cabinet of Australia
| style =
| member_of = {{hlist|Shadow Cabinet|Parliament}}
| reports_to = Parliament
| residence =
| seat =
| appointer =
| appointer_qualified =
| termlength = While leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives that is not in government
| inaugural = George Reid
| formation = 1901
| salary = $390,000
| website =
| imagecaption = Dutton in 2021
}}
In Australian federal politics, the Leader of the Opposition is an elected member of parliament (MP) in the Australian House of Representatives who leads the opposition. The Leader of the Opposition, by convention, is the leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives that is not in government.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter2/The_(official)_Opposition |title=House of Representatives Practice |chapter=Chapter 2: House, Government and Opposition, the (official) Opposition |date=May 2018 |access-date=2021-11-07 |archive-date=27 June 2023 |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20230627030549/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter2/The_(official)_Opposition |url-status=live }}
When in parliament, the opposition leader sits on the left-hand side of the centre table, in front of the opposition and opposite the prime minister. The opposition leader is elected by his or her party according to its rules. A new leader of the opposition may be elected when the incumbent dies, resigns, or is challenged for the leadership.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system and is based on the Westminster model. The term "opposition" has a specific meaning in the parliamentary sense. It is an important component of the Westminster system, with the opposition directing criticism at the government and attempts to defeat and replace the Government. The opposition is therefore known as the "government in waiting" and it is a formal part of the parliamentary system. It is in opposition to the government, but not to the Crown; hence the term "His Majesty's Loyal Opposition".{{cite book| last = Jaensch | first = Dean | author-link = Dean Jaensch | title = The Politics of Australia | publisher = MacMillan Education Australia | year = 1997 | location = Melbourne | pages = 100 | isbn = 0-7329-4128-8}}
To date there have been 35 opposition leaders, 19 of whom also have served terms as prime minister.{{cite web|title=A House for the nation |work=Commonwealth of Australia |url=http://www.houseforthenation.gov.au/explore/ahn03_p9.html |access-date=14 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830183221/http://www.houseforthenation.gov.au/explore/ahn03_p9.html |archive-date=30 August 2007 }}
Since 13 May 2025, the Leader of the Opposition role is Sussan Ley, the first woman to hold the role. The current Deputy Leader of the Opposition is Ted O'Brien, who was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party on the same date.
Role
The opposition leader is the opposition's counterpart to the prime minister. The opposition leader is expected to be ready to form a new government if the incumbent government is unable to continue in office. This typically occurs when the opposition wins a federal election, after which the opposition leader is appointed prime minister. However, the opposition leader may also be called upon to form government if the incumbent government loses the confidence of the House (most recently in 1941) or if they are otherwise removed by the governor-general (most recently in 1975).
The opposition leader is the head of the shadow ministry, allocating portfolios and, in the case of the Coalition, determining its membership. The opposition leader is assisted by a deputy leader of the opposition, who is also recognised in the standing orders and entitled to an additional salary. Both the opposition leader and deputy opposition leader are entitled to a degree of special preference from the Speaker of the House.
The position of opposition leader has no constitutional basis but exists as a matter of convention in the Westminster system. A 1960 inquiry into parliamentary salaries and allowances observed:
{{Blockquote|text=The Leader of the Opposition has to make himself master of all the business which comes before the House (not merely that of one or two departments); he has to do this at times at short notice and under constant pressure; and he gets no help from permanent officials. At all times he is the spokesman for those who are critical of or opposed to the Government, and he must be unceasingly vigilant and active. He and the Prime Minister should be the most powerful agents in guiding and forming public opinion on issues of policy.}}
Whereas according to the Coalition agreement the Leader of the National Party serves as Deputy Prime Minister when the Coalition is in government,{{cite news|url = https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/why-can-t-malcolm-turnbull-sack-barnaby-joyce-20180216-p4z0lt.html|newspaper = The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher = Fairfax Media|title = Why can't Malcolm Turnbull sack Barnaby Joyce?|first1 = Michael|last1 = Koziol|first2 = Eryk|last2 = Bagshaw|date = 16 February 2018|access-date = 24 February 2018|archive-date = 24 February 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180224113340/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/why-can-t-malcolm-turnbull-sack-barnaby-joyce-20180216-p4z0lt.html|url-status = live}} no such agreement exists when the Coalition is in Opposition, and no National Party politician has ever served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
History
File:Billy Snedden and Andrew Peacock in 1973 (1).jpg and Andrew Peacock on 12 October 1973. Both served as Opposition Leader, but never became Prime Minister.]]
George Reid became the de facto leader of the opposition in the lead-up to the inaugural 1901 federal election, following the appointment of Edmund Barton to lead a caretaker government as Australia's first prime minister. His status was confirmed when the House of Representatives met for the first time after the election. The opposition leader was initially not entitled to any salary or entitlements beyond those of an ordinary member of parliament. As a result, Reid had to maintain his legal practice in Sydney to support himself and was able to attend just over one-third of the sitting days in the first session of parliament.{{cite web|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/6493674/upload_binary/6493674.pdf|title=Australia's first Parliament: Her Majesty's loyal opposition|work=FlagPost|publisher=Australian Parliamentary Library|first=Dianne|last=Heriot|date=12 February 2019|access-date=9 February 2020|archive-date=17 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217191644/https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/6493674/upload_binary/6493674.pdf|url-status=live}}
Although the role was firmly established, the House did not formally recognise the position of opposition leader in its records until 1920. It was recognised by statute for the first time with the passage of the Parliamentary Allowances Act 1920, which granted its holder an additional allowance. Prime Minister Andrew Fisher had previously offered Opposition Leader Alfred Deakin an allowance in 1910. Deakin declined, but did accept a paid secretary.{{cite book|first=Judith|last=Brett|title=The Enigmatic Mr Deakin|date=14 August 2017|publisher=Text Publishing|isbn= 9781925498660|page=397}} In 1931, the office was incorporated into the House's standing orders for the first time, with the opposition leader granted the right to exceed the time limit for speeches in certain instances.
Salary
The opposition leader's salary is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal, an independent statutory body.{{cite news|url=https://maps.finance.gov.au/guidance/remuneration/salary|title=Salary|publisher=Department of Finance|access-date=9 February 2020|archive-date=23 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623164448/https://maps.finance.gov.au/guidance/remuneration/salary|url-status=dead}} As of 1 July 2019, the incumbent is entitled to a parliamentarian's base salary of A$211,250 plus an additional 85% loading, equating to a salary of around $390,000.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-07/federal-politicians-payrise-backbenchers-morrison-albanese/11189016|title=Pay rise coming for federal politicians as they prepare to return to Canberra|publisher=ABC News|date=8 June 2019|access-date=9 February 2020|first=Matthew|last=Doran|archive-date=2 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702101309/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-07/federal-politicians-payrise-backbenchers-morrison-albanese/11189016|url-status=live}}
List of leaders of the opposition
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |
| No.
! colspan="2" | Leader ! colspan="2" | Party ! Constituency ! Took office ! Left office ! colspan="2"|Prime Minister ! class="unsortable" | Ref |
|---|
| rowspan="3"|1
| rowspan="3" width=120px|George Reid{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | rowspan="3" width=60px|60px | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Free Trade}}| | rowspan="3"|Free Trade | rowspan="3"|East Sydney (NSW) | rowspan="3"|19 May 1901 | rowspan="3"|17 August 1904 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Protectionist}} | | Barton 1901–03 |
| Deakin 1903–04 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Watson 1904 |
| 2
| Chris Watson{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor | 18 August 1904 | 5 July 1905 | {{Australian party style|Free Trade}}| | Reid 1904–05 |
| rowspan="2"|(1)
| rowspan="2"|George Reid{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Free Trade}} | | rowspan="2"| Free Trade / Anti-Socialist | rowspan="2"|East Sydney (NSW) | rowspan="2"|7 July 1905 | rowspan="2"|16 November 1908 | {{Australian party style|Protectionist}}| | Deakin 1905–08 |
| rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| rowspan="3"|Fisher 1908–09 |
| 3
| Joseph Cook{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 17 November 1908 | 26 May 1909 |
| 4
| Alfred Deakin{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | Liberal | 26 May 1909 | 2 June 1909 |
| 5
| Andrew Fisher{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | Deakin 1909 |
| (4)
| Alfred Deakin{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}} | | rowspan="2" | Liberal | 1 July 1910 | 20 January 1913 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Fisher 1910–13 |
| (3)
| Joseph Cook{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 20 January 1913 | 24 June 1913 |
| (5)
| Andrew Fisher{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}}{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor | 8 July 1913 | 17 September 1914 | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | Cook 1913–14 |
| rowspan="3"|(3)
| rowspan="3"|Joseph Cook{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | rowspan="3"|60px | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | rowspan="3"|Liberal | rowspan="3"|Parramatta (NSW) | rowspan="3"|8 October 1914 | rowspan="3"|17 February 1917 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Fisher 1914–15 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| rowspan="4"|Hughes 1915–23 |
| {{Australian party style|National Labor}}| |
| 6
| 60px | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="4" | Labor | 17 February 1917 | 10 January 1922 | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| |
| rowspan="2"|7
| rowspan="2"|Matthew Charlton | rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2"|Hunter (NSW) | rowspan="2"|25 January 1922 | rowspan="2"|29 March 1928 | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| |
| {{Australian party style|Nationalist}} |
| rowspan="2"|Bruce 1923–29 |
| 8
| James Scullin{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 29 March 1928 | 22 October 1929 | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| |
| 9
| 60px | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| | 20 November 1929 | 7 May 1931 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Scullin 1929–32 |
| 10
| Joseph Lyons{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | {{Australian party style|UAP}}| | 7 May 1931 | 6 January 1932 |
| (8)
| James Scullin{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | rowspan="5" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="5" | Labor | 6 January 1932 | 1 October 1935 | {{Australian party style|UAP}} | | rowspan="2"|Lyons 1932–39 |
| rowspan="4"|11
| rowspan="4"|John Curtin{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | rowspan="4"|60px | rowspan="4"|Fremantle (WA) | rowspan="4"|1 October 1935 | rowspan="4"|7 October 1941 | {{Australian party style|UAP}}| |
| {{Australian party style|Country}}|
| Page 1939 |
| {{Australian party style|UAP}}|
| Menzies 1939–41 |
| {{Australian party style|Country}}|
| Fadden 1941 |
| 12
| Arthur Fadden{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | {{Australian party style|Country}}| | Country | 7 October 1941 | 23 September 1943 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Curtin 1941–45 |
| rowspan="3"|13
| rowspan="3"|Robert Menzies{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}}{{efn|name=b}} | rowspan="3"|60px | {{Australian party style|UAP}}| | rowspan="3"|Kooyong (Vic) | rowspan="3"|23 September 1943 | rowspan="3"|19 December 1949 |
| rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| rowspan="2"|Liberal | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Forde 1945 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Chifley 1945–49 |
| 14
| Ben Chifley{{hsp}}{{efn|name=b}} | 60px | rowspan="8" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="8" | Labor | 19 December 1949 | 13 June 1951 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="3"|Menzies 1949–66 |
| 15
| 60px | Barton (NSW) 1940–58 | 20 June 1951 | 9 February 1960 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| rowspan="2"|16
| rowspan="2"|Arthur Calwell | rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2"|Melbourne (Vic) | rowspan="2"|7 March 1960 | rowspan="2"|8 February 1967 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |
| rowspan="2"|Holt 1966–67 |
| rowspan="4"|17
| rowspan="4"|Gough Whitlam{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | rowspan="4"|60px | rowspan="4"|Werriwa (NSW) | rowspan="4"|8 February 1967 | rowspan="4"|2 December 1972 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| {{Australian party style|Nationals}}|
| McEwen 1967–68 |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| Gorton 1968–71 |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| McMahon 1971–72 |
| 18
| 60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2" | Liberal | 20 December 1972 | 21 March 1975 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Whitlam 1972–75 |
| 19
| Malcolm Fraser{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 21 March 1975 | 11 November 1975 |
| (17)
| Gough Whitlam{{hsp}}{{efn|name=c|Gough Whitlam refused to use the title Leader of the Opposition between the dismissal of his government in November 1975 and the first meeting of the new parliament in February 1976. During the election campaign in December 1975 he styled himself as the Leader of the Majority in the House of Representatives.{{cite web |title = Whitlam Speeches – 1975 Election Policy Speech |last = Gough |first = Whitlam |author-link = Gough Whitlam |work = Whitlam Dismissal |url = http://whitlamdismissal.com/speeches/75-11-24_policy-speech.shtml |access-date = 2006-04-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061116093425/http://whitlamdismissal.com/speeches/75-11-24_policy-speech.shtml |archive-date = 2006-11-16 }}}} | 60px | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="3" | Labor | 11 November 1975 | 22 December 1977 | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan="3"|Fraser 1975–83 |
| 20
| 60px | 22 December 1977 | 8 February 1983 |
| 21
| Bob Hawke{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 8 February 1983 | 11 March 1983 |
| 22
| 60px | rowspan="7" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="7" | Liberal | 11 March 1983 | 5 September 1985 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="4"|Hawke 1983–91 |
| 23
| John Howard{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 5 September 1985 | 9 May 1989 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon John Howard MP|mpid=ZD4|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| (22)
| 60px | 9 May 1989 | 3 April 1990 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |
| rowspan="2"|24
| rowspan="2"|John Hewson | rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2"|Wentworth (NSW) | rowspan="2"|3 April 1990 | rowspan="2"|23 May 1994 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |
| rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| rowspan="3"|Keating 1991–96 |
| 25
| 60px | 23 May 1994 | 30 January 1995 | {{cite Au Parliament|mpid=4G4|name=Hon Alexander Downer MP|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| (23)
| John Howard{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 30 January 1995 | 11 March 1996 |
| 26
| 60px | rowspan="5" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="5" | Labor | 19 March 1996 | 22 November 2001 | rowspan="5" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan="5"|Howard 1996–07 | {{cite Au Parliament|mpid=PE4|name=The Hon Kim Beazley MP|access-date=2021-11-06}} |
| 27
| 60px | 22 November 2001 | 2 December 2003 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Simon Crean MP|mpid=DT4|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| 28
| 60px | 2 December 2003 | 18 January 2005 | {{cite Au Parliament|mpid=K26|name=Mr Mark Latham MP|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| (26)
| 60px | 28 January 2005 | 4 December 2006 |
| 29
| Kevin Rudd{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 4 December 2006 | 3 December 2007 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Kevin Rudd MP|mpid=83T|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| 30
| 60px | rowspan="5" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="5" | Liberal | 3 December 2007 | 16 September 2008 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="3"|Rudd 2007–10 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Brendan Nelson MP|mpid=RW5|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| 31
| Malcolm Turnbull{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 16 September 2008 | 1 December 2009 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | {{cite Au Parliament|mpid=884|name=Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| rowspan="3"|32
| rowspan="3"|Tony Abbott{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | rowspan="3"|60px | rowspan="3"|Warringah (NSW) | rowspan="3"|1 December 2009 | rowspan="3"|18 September 2013 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="3"|{{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Tony Abbott MP|mpid=EZ5|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Gillard 2010–13 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Rudd 2013 |
| rowspan="3"|33
| rowspan="3"|Bill Shorten | rowspan="3"|60px | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="4"|Labor | rowspan="3"|Maribyrnong (Vic) | rowspan="3"|13 October 2013 | rowspan="3"|30 May 2019 | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Abbott 2013–15 | {{cite Au Parliament|mpid=DZS|name=Hon Chris Bowen MP|access-date=2021-11-06}} |
| Turnbull 2015–18
| {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Bill Shorten MP|mpid=00ATG|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| rowspan="2"|Morrison 2018–22
| rowspan="2"|{{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Anthony Albanese MP|mpid=R36|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| 34
| Anthony Albanese{{hsp}}{{efn|name=a}} | 60px | 30 May 2019 | 23 May 2022 |
| 35
| 60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2" | Liberal | 30 May 2022 | 3 May 2025 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2" | Albanese 2022– | |
| 36
| 60px | 13 May 2025 | Incumbent | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | |
Timeline
{{#tag:timeline|
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id:Labor value:rgb(0.87,0.17,0.20) legend:Australian_Labor_Party
id:CommonwealthLiberal value:rgb(0.55,0.71,0.82) legend:Fusion_Liberal
id:NationalLabor value:rgb(0.89,0.51,0.42) legend:National_Labor_Party
id:Nationalist value:rgb(0.39,0.58,0.93) legend:Nationalist_Party
id:UnitedAustralia value:rgb(0,0,0.55) legend:United_Australia_Party
id:Country value:rgb(0,0.40,0.27) legend:Australian_Country_Party
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bar:JosephLyons
bar:JohnCurtin
bar:ArthurFadden
bar:RobertMenzies
bar:BenChifley
bar:HVEvatt
bar:ArthurCalwell
bar:GoughWhitlam
bar:BillySnedden
bar:MalcolmFraser
bar:BillHayden
bar:BobHawke
bar:AndrewPeacock
bar:JohnHoward
bar:JohnHewson
bar:AlexanderDowner
bar:KimBeazley
bar:SimonCrean
bar:MarkLatham
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bar:BrendanNelson
bar:MalcomTurnbull
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bar:AnthonyAlbanese
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from: 19/05/1901 till: 17/08/1904 color:FreeTrade
from: 07/07/1905 till: 16/11/1908 color:FreeTrade text:"George Reid"
bar:ChrisWatson
from: 18/05/1904 till: 05/07/1905 color:Labor text:"Chris Watson"
bar:JosephCook
from: 17/11/1908 till: 26/05/1909 color:FreeTrade
from: 20/01/1913 till: 24/06/1913 color:CommonwealthLiberal
from: 08/10/1914 till: 17/02/1917 color:CommonwealthLiberal text:"Joseph Cook"
bar:AlfredDeakin
from: 26/05/1909 till: 02/06/1909 color:CommonwealthLiberal
from: 01/07/1910 till: 20/01/1913 color:CommonwealthLiberal text:"Alfred Deakin"
bar:AndrewFisher
from: 02/06/1909 till: 29/04/1910 color:Labor
from: 08/07/1913 till: 17/09/1914 color:Labor text:"Andrew Fisher"
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from: 17/02/1917 till: 10/01/1922 color:Labor text:"Frank Tudor"
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from: 25/01/1922 till: 29/03/1928 color:Labor text:"Matthew Charlton"
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from: 29/03/1928 till: 22/10/1929 color:Labor
from: 06/01/1932 till: 01/10/1935 color:Labor text:"James Scullin"
bar:JohnLatham
from: 20/11/1929 till: 07/05/1931 color:Nationalist text:"John Latham"
bar:JosephLyons
from: 07/05/1931 till: 06/01/1932 color:UnitedAustralia text:"Joseph Lyons"
bar:JohnCurtin
from: 01/10/1935 till: 07/10/1941 color:Labor text:"John Curtin"
bar:ArthurFadden
from: 07/10/1941 till: 23/09/1943 color:Country text:"Arthur Fadden"
bar:RobertMenzies
from: 23/09/1943 till: 31/08/1945 color:UnitedAustralia
from: 31/08/1945 till: 19/12/1949 color:Liberal text:"Robert Menzies"
bar:BenChifley
from: 19/12/1949 till: 13/06/1951 color:Labor text:"Ben Chifley"
bar:HVEvatt
from: 13/06/1951 till: 09/02/1960 color:Labor text:"H. V. Evatt"
bar:ArthurCalwell
from: 09/02/1960 till: 08/02/1967 color:Labor text:"Arthur Calwell"
bar:GoughWhitlam
from: 08/02/1967 till: 05/12/1972 color:Labor
from: 11/11/1975 till: 22/12/1977 color:Labor text:"Gough Whitlam"
bar:BillySnedden
from: 20/12/1972 till: 21/03/1975 color:Liberal text:"Billy Snedden"
bar:MalcolmFraser
from: 21/03/1975 till: 11/11/1975 color:Liberal text:"Malcolm Fraser"
bar:BillHayden
from: 22/12/1977 till: 08/02/1983 color:Labor text:"Bill Hayden"
bar:BobHawke
from: 08/02/1983 till: 11/03/1983 color:Labor text:"Bob Hawke"
bar:AndrewPeacock
from: 11/03/1983 till: 05/09/1985 color:Liberal
from: 09/05/1989 till: 03/04/1990 color:Liberal text:"Andrew Peakcock"
bar:JohnHoward
from: 05/09/1985 till: 09/05/1989 color:Liberal
from: 30/01/1995 till: 11/03/1996 color:Liberal text:"John Howard"
bar:JohnHewson
from: 03/04/1990 till: 23/05/1994 color:Liberal text:"John Hewson"
bar:AlexanderDowner
from: 23/05/1994 till: 30/01/1995 color:Liberal text:"Alexander Downer"
bar:KimBeazley
from: 19/03/1996 till: 22/11/2001 color:Labor
from: 28/01/2005 till: 04/12/2006 color:Labor text:"Kim Beazley"
bar:SimonCrean
from: 22/11/2001 till: 02/12/2003 color:Labor text:"Simon Crean"
bar:MarkLatham
from: 02/12/2003 till: 18/01/2005 color:Labor text:"Mark Latham"
bar:KevinRudd
from: 04/12/2006 till: 03/12/2007 color:Labor text:"Kevin Rudd"
bar:BrendanNelson
from: 03/12/2007 till: 16/09/2008 color:Liberal text:"Brendan Nelson"
bar:MalcomTurnbull
from: 16/09/2008 till: 01/12/2009 color:Liberal text:"Malcolm Turnbull"
bar:TonyAbbott
from: 01/12/2009 till: 18/09/2013 color:Liberal text:"Tony Abbott"
bar:BillShorten
from: 18/09/2013 till: 30/05/2019 color:Labor text:"Bill Shorten"
bar:AnthonyAlbanese
from: 30/05/2019 till: 23/05/2022 color:Labor text:"Anthony Albanese"
bar:PeterDutton
from: 30/05/2022 till: 03/05/2025 color:Liberal text:"Peter Dutton"
bar:SussanLey
from: 13/05/2025 till: $today color:Liberal text:"Sussan Ley"
}}
List of deputy leaders of the opposition
| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="2" | Deputy Leader ! colspan="2" | Party ! Constituency ! Took office ! Left office ! colspan="2" | Leader ! class="unsortable" | Ref |
| Joseph Cook
| 60px | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | 26 May 1909 | 2 June 1909 | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | Deakin 1909 |
| Gregor McGregor
| 60px | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Senator for South Australia (SA) | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Fisher 1909–10 |
| Joseph Cook
| 60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}} | | rowspan="2" | Commonwealth Liberal Party | 1 July 1910 | 20 January 1913 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}} | | Deakin 1910–13 |
| Sir John Forrest
| 60px | 20 January 1913 | 24 June 1913 | Cook 1913 |
| Gregor McGregor
| 60px | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Senator for South Australia (SA) | 8 July 1913 | 7 September 1914 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Fisher 1913–14 |
| Sir John Forrest
| 60px | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | 8 October 1914 | 17 February 1917 | {{Australian party style|Commonwealth Liberal}}| | Cook 1914–17 |
| rowspan="2"|Albert Gardiner
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="5" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="5" |Labor Party | rowspan="2"|Senator for New South Wales (NSW) | rowspan="2"|17 February 1917 | rowspan="2"|March 1927 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Tudor 1917–22 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}} |
| rowspan="2"|Charlton 1922–28 |
| James Scullin
| 60px | 17 March 1927 | 29 March 1928 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | {{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29666893 |title=Inter-state |newspaper=The Mercury |date=18 March 1927 |access-date=7 November 2021 |page=6 |via=Trove |archive-date=29 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240829013927/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/29666893 |url-status=live }} |
| Arthur Blakeley
| 60px | 29 March 1928 | 1929 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Scullin 1928–29 |
| Ted Theodore
| 60px | 1929 | 22 October 1929 |
| Henry Gullett
| 60px | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| | 20 November 1929 | 7 May 1931 | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| | Latham 1929–31 |
| John Latham
| 60px | {{Australian party style|UAP}}| | 7 May 1931 | 6 January 1932 | {{Australian party style|UAP}}| | Lyons 1931–32 |
| rowspan="2"|Frank Forde
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Labor Party | rowspan="2"|Capricornia (Qld) | rowspan="2"|7 January 1932 | rowspan="2"|7 October 1941 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Scullin 1932–35 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Curtin 1935–41 |
| rowspan="2"|Billy Hughes
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|UAP}} | | rowspan="3" |United Australia Party | rowspan="2"|North Sydney (NSW) | rowspan="2"|9 October 1941 | rowspan="2"|14 April 1944 | {{Australian party style|Country}}| | Fadden 1941–43 |
| {{Australian party style|UAP}}|
| rowspan="3"|Menzies 1943–49 |
| rowspan="2"|Eric Harrison
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2"|Wentworth (NSW) | rowspan="2"|14 April 1944 | rowspan="2"|19 December 1949 | {{Australian party style|UAP}}| |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |
| H. V. Evatt
| 60px | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="4" | Labor Party | 19 December 1949 | 13 June 1951 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Chifley 1949–51 |
| Arthur Calwell
| 60px | 13 June 1951 | 9 February 1960 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Evatt 1951–60 |
| Gough Whitlam
| 60px | 7 March 1960 | 8 February 1967 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Calwell 1960–67 |
| Lance Barnard
| 60px | 8 February 1967 | 5 December 1972 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Whitlam 1967–72 |
| rowspan="2"|Phillip Lynch
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan="2"|Liberal Party | rowspan="2"|Flinders (Vic) | rowspan="2"|20 December 1972 | rowspan="2"|11 November 1975 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Snedden 1972–75 |
| Fraser 1975 |
| Frank Crean
| 60px | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="4" | Labor Party | 11 November 1975 | 22 December 1975 | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="2"| Whitlam 1975–77 |
| Tom Uren
| 60px | 22 December 1975 | 22 December 1977 |
| rowspan="2"|Lionel Bowen
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2"|Kingsford Smith (NSW) | rowspan="2"|22 December 1977 | rowspan="2"|11 March 1983 | Hayden 1977–83 |
| Hawke 1983 |
| John Howard
| 60px | rowspan="8" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="8" | Liberal Party | 11 March 1983 | 5 September 1985 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Peacock 1983–85 |
| Neil Brown
| 60px | 5 September 1985 | 17 July 1987 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan="2"| Howard 1985–89 |
| Andrew Peacock
| 60px | 17 July 1987 | 9 May 1989 |
| Fred Chaney
| 60px | Senator for Western Australia (WA) 1989–90 | 9 May 1989 | 24 March 1990 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Peacock 1989–90 |
| Peter Reith
| 60px | 24 March 1990 | 13 March 1993 | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2"|Hewson 1990–94 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Peter Reith MP|mpid=WI4|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| Michael Wooldridge
| 60px | 13 March 1993 | 23 May 1994 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge MP|mpid=8E4|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| rowspan="2"|Peter Costello
| rowspan="2"|60px | rowspan="2"|Higgins (Vic) | rowspan="2"|23 May 1994 | rowspan="2"|11 March 1996 | Downer 1994–95 | rowspan=2 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Peter Costello MP|mpid=CT4|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| Howard 1995–96 |
| Gareth Evans
| 60px | rowspan="6" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="6" | Labor Party | 19 March 1996 | 19 October 1998 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Beazley 1996–2001 | {{cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Gareth Evans QC, MP|mpid=VD4|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| Simon Crean
| 60px | 19 October 1998 | 22 November 2001 |
| rowspan="3"|Jenny Macklin
| rowspan="3"|60px | rowspan="3"|Jagajaga (Vic) | rowspan="3"|22 November 2001 | rowspan="3"|18 September 2006 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Crean 2001–03 | rowspan=3 | {{Cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Jenny Macklin MP|mpid=PG6|access-date=2021-11-03}} |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Latham 2003–05 |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Beazley 2005–06 |
| Julia Gillard
| 60px | 4 December 2006 | 3 December 2007 | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Rudd 2006–07 | {{Cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Julia Gillard MP|mpid=83L|access-date=2021-11-03}} |
| rowspan="3"|Julie Bishop
| rowspan="3"|60px | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan="3"|Liberal Party | rowspan="3"|Curtin (WA) | rowspan="3"|3 December 2007 | rowspan="3"|18 September 2013 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Nelson 2007–08 | rowspan=3 | {{Cite Au Parliament|name=Hon Julie Bishop MP|mpid=83P|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| Turnbull 2008–09 |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| Abbott 2009–13 |
| Tanya Plibersek
| 60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="2"|Labor Party | 14 October 2013 | 30 May 2019 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Shorten 2013–19 | {{cite Au Parliament|title=Hon Tanya Plibersek MP|mpid=83M|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| Richard Marles
| 60px | 30 May 2019 | 23 May 2022 | Albanese 2019–22 | {{cite Au Parliament|mpid=HWQ|name=Hon Richard Marles MP|access-date=2021-11-07}} |
| Sussan Ley
| 60px | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | rowspan="2"|Liberal Party | 30 May 2022 | 13 May 2025 | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Dutton 2022–25 | |
| Ted O'Brien
| | 13 May 2025 | Incumbent | Ley 2025– | |
See also
File:Australian House of Representatives - Parliament of Australia.jpg, the Leader of the Opposition sits at the front table to the left of the Speaker's chair (on the right-hand side in this photo).]]
Notes
{{Notelist|refs=
{{efn|name=a|Opposition Leader who later became Prime Minister.}}
{{efn|name=b|Opposition Leader who had previously been Prime Minister.}}
}}
{{clear}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Politics of Australia}}
{{Parliament of Australia}}
Category:Lists of Australian politicians