Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox Political post

| post = Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia

| body =

| nativename =

| insignia = Western Australian Coat of Arms.svg

| insigniasize =

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| department =

| image =

| alt =

| incumbent = Basil Zempilas

| incumbentsince = 25 March 2025

| style =

| residence =

| nominator =

| nominatorpost =

| appointer =

| appointerpost =

| termlength = While leader of the largest political party in the Legislative Assembly that is not in government

| inaugural = Henry Daglish

| formation = 25 August 1905

| last =

| abolished =

| succession =

| deputy = Peter Rundle

| salary =

| website =

}}

In the Australian state of Western Australia, the leader of the opposition is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, the leader is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Prior to 1911, the Western Australian political system had neither organised political parties (apart from the Labor Party) nor an organised opposition. The notion of leader of the opposition was well understood, however, and on occasions was applied to members. Maitland Brown, for example, was often referred to as "Leader of the Opposition" during his period as an outspoken critic of Governor Robinson's Government.

In the 2025 state election, the Liberal Party held seven seats against the National Party's six and became the official Opposition of the state. Accordingly, the leader of the Liberal Party, Basil Zempilas also gained the official title of Leader of the Opposition after he was elected as party leader on 25 March 2025.

List of leaders of the opposition

class="wikitable"

! width=2% | № !! width=15% | Leader !! colspan="2" width=15%| Party !! width=15% |Constituency !! width=15% | Took office !! width=15% | Left office !! colspan="2" width=20% | Premier

1Henry Daglish{{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartySubiaco25 August 190527 September 1905{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} |  rowspan="2"| Hector Rason
(25 August 1905 – 7 May 1906)
rowspan="2"| 2rowspan="2"| William Johnsonrowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | rowspan="2"| Labor Partyrowspan="2"| Guildfordrowspan="2"| 4 October 1905rowspan="2"| 27 October 1905{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} |
{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} |  rowspan="3"| Newton Moore
(7 May 1906 – 16 September 1910)
3Thomas Bath{{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyBrown Hill22 November 19053 August 1910{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} |  
rowspan="2"| 4rowspan="2"| John Scaddan (I)rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | rowspan="2"| Labor Partyrowspan="2"| Ivanhoerowspan="2"| 3 August 1910rowspan="2"| 7 October 1911{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} |  
{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} |  Frank Wilson (I)
(16 September 1910 – 7 October 1911)
5Frank Wilson{{Australian party style|Liberal WA 1911}}| Liberal PartySussex1 November 191127 July 1916{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  John Scaddan
(7 October 1911 – 27 July 1916)
John Scaddan (II){{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyBrown Hill-Ivanhoe27 July 191616 April 1917{{Australian party style|Liberal WA 1911}} |  rowspan="2"| Frank Wilson (II)
(27 July 1916 – 28 June 1917)
rowspan="4"| 6rowspan="4"| Philip Collier (I)rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| rowspan="4"| Labor Partyrowspan="4"| Boulderrowspan="4"| 16 April 1917rowspan="4"| 16 April 1924{{Australian party style|Liberal WA 1911}} |  
{{Australian party style|Nationalist}} |  Henry Lefroy
(28 June 1917 – 17 April 1919)
{{Australian party style|Nationalist}} |  Hal Colebatch
(17 April 1919 – 17 May 1919)
{{Australian party style|Nationalist}} |  James Mitchell (I)
(17 May 1919 – 16 April 1924)
7James Mitchell{{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| Nationalist PartyNortham16 April 192424 April 1930{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  Philip Collier (I)
(16 April 1924 – 24 April 1930)
Philip Collier (II){{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyBoulder24 April 193024 April 1933{{Australian party style|Nationalist}} |  James Mitchell (II)
(24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933)
rowspan="2"| 8rowspan="2"| Charles Lathamrowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Country}}| rowspan="2"| Country Partyrowspan="2"| Yorkrowspan="2"| 24 April 1933rowspan="2"| 8 October 1942{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  Philip Collier (II)
(24 April 1933 – 20 August 1936)
{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="2"| John Willcock
(20 August 1936 – 31 July 1945)
rowspan="2"| 9rowspan="2"| Arthur Wattsrowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Country}}| rowspan="2"| Country Partyrowspan="2"| Katanningrowspan="2"| 8 October 1942rowspan="2"| 1 April 1947{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  Frank Wise
(31 July 1945 – 1 April 1947)
10Frank Wise{{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyGascoyne1 April 194726 June 1951{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  rowspan="2"| Ross McLarty
(1 April 1947 – 23 February 1953)
11Bert Hawke (I){{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyNortham26 June 195123 February 1953{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
12Ross McLarty{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| Liberal PartyMurray-Wellington23 February 19531 March 1957{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="2"| Bert Hawke
(23 February 1953 – 2 April 1959)
13David Brand (I){{Australian party style|Liberal}}| Liberal PartyGreenough1 March 19572 April 1959{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
Bert Hawke (II){{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyNortham2 April 195931 December 1966{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  rowspan="2"| David Brand
(2 April 1959 – 3 March 1971)
14John Tonkin (I){{Australian party style|Labor}}| Labor PartyMelville31 December 19663 March 1971{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
David Brand (II){{Australian party style|Liberal}}| Liberal PartyGreenough3 March 19715 June 1972{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="2"| John Tonkin
(3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974)
15Charles Court{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| Liberal PartyNedlands5 June 19728 April 1974{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
John Tonkin (II){{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyMelville8 April 197415 April 1976{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  rowspan="4"| Charles Court
(8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982)
16Colin Jamieson{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyWelshpool15 April 197621 February 1978{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
17Ron Davies{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyVictoria Park21 February 197818 September 1981{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
rowspan="2"| 18rowspan="2"| Brian Burkerowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | rowspan="2"| Labor Partyrowspan="2"| Balcattarowspan="2"| 18 September 1981rowspan="2"| 19 February 1983{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  Ray O'Connor
(25 January 1982 – 25 February 1983)
19Ray O'Connor{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyMount Lawley19 February 198315 February 1984{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="3"| Brian Burke
(25 February 1983 – 25 February 1988)
20Bill Hassell{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyCottesloe15 February 198425 November 1986{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
rowspan="3"| 21rowspan="3"| Barry MacKinnonrowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | rowspan="3"| Liberal PartyMurdoch (1977–89)rowspan="3"| 25 November 1986rowspan="3"| 12 May 1992{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
rowspan="2"| Jandakot (1989–93){{Australian party style|Labor}} |  Peter Dowding
(25 February 1988 – 12 February 1990)
{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="2"| Carmen Lawrence
(12 February 1990 – 16 February 1993)
22Richard Court (I){{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyNedlands12 May 199216 February 1993{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
23Carmen Lawrence{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyGlendalough16 February 19937 February 1994{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  rowspan="4"| Richard Court
(16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001)
24Ian Taylor{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyKalgoorlie7 February 199412 October 1994{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
25Jim McGinty{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyFremantle12 October 199415 October 1996{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
26Geoff Gallop{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyVictoria Park15 October 199610 February 2001{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
Richard Court (II){{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyNedlands10 February 200126 February 2001{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="3"| Geoff Gallop
(10 February 2001 – 25 January 2006)
27Colin Barnett (I){{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyCottesloe26 February 20019 March 2005{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
rowspan="2"| 28rowspan="2"| Matt Birneyrowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | rowspan="2"| Liberal Partyrowspan="2"| Kalgoorlierowspan="2"| 9 March 2005rowspan="2"| 24 March 2006{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="4"| Alan Carpenter
(25 January 2006 – 23 September 2008)
29Paul Omodei{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyWarren-Blackwood24 March 200617 January 2008{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
30Troy Buswell{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyVasse17 January 20084 August 2008{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
Colin Barnett (II){{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyCottesloe4 August 200823 September 2008{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
31Eric Ripper{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyBelmont23 September 200823 January 2012{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  rowspan="2"| Colin Barnett
(23 September 2008 – 17 March 2017)
32Mark McGowan{{Australian party style|Labor}} | Labor PartyRockingham23 January 201217 March 2017{{Australian party style|Liberal}} |  
Colin Barnett (III){{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyCottesloe17 March 201721 March 2017{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan="6"| Mark McGowan
(17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023)
33Mike Nahan{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyRiverton21 March 201713 June 2019{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
34Liza Harvey{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyScarborough13 June 201922 November 2020{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
35Zak Kirkup{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | Liberal PartyDawesville24 November 202013 March 2021{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
36Mia Davies{{Australian party style|National}} | National PartyCentral Wheatbelt14 April 202130 January 2023{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
rowspan="2" | 37rowspan="2" | Shane Loverowspan="2" {{Australian party style|National}} | rowspan="2" | National Partyrowspan="2" | Moorerowspan="2" | 30 January 2023rowspan="2" | 25 March 2025{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  
{{Australian party style|Labor}} |  rowspan=2 | Roger Cook
(8 June 2023 – present)
38

|Basil Zempilas

| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|

|Liberal Party

|Churchlands

|25 March 2025

|Incumbent

| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

  • {{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/Publications+-+Shadow+Leader+Of+the+Opposition/$FILE/Leaders+of+the+Opposition+from+1905.pdf | title=Leaders of the Opposition from 1905 | publisher=Parliament of Western Australia | work=Parliamentary Library Western Australia | access-date=9 November 2012}}

{{Australian opposition leaders}}

{{Government of Western Australia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leader Of The Opposition (Western Australia)}}

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Western Australia

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Category:Western Australia-related lists