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 =
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| incumbent = Basil Zempilas
| incumbentsince = 25 March 2025
| style =
| residence =
| nominator =
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| 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 | ||||||||
1 | Henry Daglish | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Subiaco | 25 August 1905 | 27 September 1905 | {{Australian party style|Ministerial}} | | rowspan="2"| Hector Rason (25 August 1905 – 7 May 1906) |
rowspan="2"| 2 | rowspan="2"| William Johnson | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="2"| Labor Party | rowspan="2"| Guildford | rowspan="2"| 4 October 1905 | rowspan="2"| 27 October 1905 | {{Australian party style|Ministerial}} | | |
{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} | | rowspan="3"| Newton Moore (7 May 1906 – 16 September 1910) | |||||||
3 | Thomas Bath | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Brown Hill | 22 November 1905 | 3 August 1910 | {{Australian party style|Ministerial}} | | |
rowspan="2"| 4 | rowspan="2"| John Scaddan (I) | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="2"| Labor Party | rowspan="2"| Ivanhoe | rowspan="2"| 3 August 1910 | rowspan="2"| 7 October 1911 | {{Australian party style|Ministerial}} | | |
{{Australian party style|Ministerial}} | | Frank Wilson (I) (16 September 1910 – 7 October 1911) | |||||||
5 | Frank Wilson | {{Australian party style|Liberal WA 1911}}| | Liberal Party | Sussex | 1 November 1911 | 27 July 1916 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | John Scaddan (7 October 1911 – 27 July 1916) |
– | John Scaddan (II) | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Brown Hill-Ivanhoe | 27 July 1916 | 16 April 1917 | {{Australian party style|Liberal WA 1911}} | | rowspan="2"| Frank Wilson (II) (27 July 1916 – 28 June 1917) |
rowspan="4"| 6 | rowspan="4"| Philip Collier (I) | rowspan="4" {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | rowspan="4"| Labor Party | rowspan="4"| Boulder | rowspan="4"| 16 April 1917 | rowspan="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) | |||||||
7 | James Mitchell | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}}| | Nationalist Party | Northam | 16 April 1924 | 24 April 1930 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Philip Collier (I) (16 April 1924 – 24 April 1930) |
– | Philip Collier (II) | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Boulder | 24 April 1930 | 24 April 1933 | {{Australian party style|Nationalist}} | | James Mitchell (II) (24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933) |
rowspan="2"| 8 | rowspan="2"| Charles Latham | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Country}}| | rowspan="2"| Country Party | rowspan="2"| York | rowspan="2"| 24 April 1933 | rowspan="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"| 9 | rowspan="2"| Arthur Watts | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Country}}| | rowspan="2"| Country Party | rowspan="2"| Katanning | rowspan="2"| 8 October 1942 | rowspan="2"| 1 April 1947 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
{{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Frank Wise (31 July 1945 – 1 April 1947) | |||||||
10 | Frank Wise | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Gascoyne | 1 April 1947 | 26 June 1951 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2"| Ross McLarty (1 April 1947 – 23 February 1953) |
11 | Bert Hawke (I) | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Northam | 26 June 1951 | 23 February 1953 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
12 | Ross McLarty | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal Party | Murray-Wellington | 23 February 1953 | 1 March 1957 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="2"| Bert Hawke (23 February 1953 – 2 April 1959) |
13 | David Brand (I) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal Party | Greenough | 1 March 1957 | 2 April 1959 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
– | Bert Hawke (II) | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Northam | 2 April 1959 | 31 December 1966 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2"| David Brand (2 April 1959 – 3 March 1971) |
14 | John Tonkin (I) | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | Labor Party | Melville | 31 December 1966 | 3 March 1971 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
– | David Brand (II) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal Party | Greenough | 3 March 1971 | 5 June 1972 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="2"| John Tonkin (3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974) |
15 | Charles Court | {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal Party | Nedlands | 5 June 1972 | 8 April 1974 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
– | John Tonkin (II) | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Melville | 8 April 1974 | 15 April 1976 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="4"| Charles Court (8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982) |
16 | Colin Jamieson | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Welshpool | 15 April 1976 | 21 February 1978 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
17 | Ron Davies | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Victoria Park | 21 February 1978 | 18 September 1981 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
rowspan="2"| 18 | rowspan="2"| Brian Burke | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="2"| Labor Party | rowspan="2"| Balcatta | rowspan="2"| 18 September 1981 | rowspan="2"| 19 February 1983 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
{{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Ray O'Connor (25 January 1982 – 25 February 1983) | |||||||
19 | Ray O'Connor | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Mount Lawley | 19 February 1983 | 15 February 1984 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="3"| Brian Burke (25 February 1983 – 25 February 1988) |
20 | Bill Hassell | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Cottesloe | 15 February 1984 | 25 November 1986 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
rowspan="3"| 21 | rowspan="3"| Barry MacKinnon | rowspan="3" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="3"| Liberal Party | Murdoch (1977–89) | rowspan="3"| 25 November 1986 | rowspan="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) | |||||||
22 | Richard Court (I) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Nedlands | 12 May 1992 | 16 February 1993 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
23 | Carmen Lawrence | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Glendalough | 16 February 1993 | 7 February 1994 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="4"| Richard Court (16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001) |
24 | Ian Taylor | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Kalgoorlie | 7 February 1994 | 12 October 1994 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
25 | Jim McGinty | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Fremantle | 12 October 1994 | 15 October 1996 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
26 | Geoff Gallop | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Victoria Park | 15 October 1996 | 10 February 2001 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
– | Richard Court (II) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Nedlands | 10 February 2001 | 26 February 2001 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="3"| Geoff Gallop (10 February 2001 – 25 January 2006) |
27 | Colin Barnett (I) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Cottesloe | 26 February 2001 | 9 March 2005 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
rowspan="2"| 28 | rowspan="2"| Matt Birney | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2"| Liberal Party | rowspan="2"| Kalgoorlie | rowspan="2"| 9 March 2005 | rowspan="2"| 24 March 2006 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
{{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="4"| Alan Carpenter (25 January 2006 – 23 September 2008) | |||||||
29 | Paul Omodei | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Warren-Blackwood | 24 March 2006 | 17 January 2008 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
30 | Troy Buswell | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Vasse | 17 January 2008 | 4 August 2008 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
– | Colin Barnett (II) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Cottesloe | 4 August 2008 | 23 September 2008 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
31 | Eric Ripper | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Belmont | 23 September 2008 | 23 January 2012 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | rowspan="2"| Colin Barnett (23 September 2008 – 17 March 2017) |
32 | Mark McGowan | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | Labor Party | Rockingham | 23 January 2012 | 17 March 2017 | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | |
– | Colin Barnett (III) | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Cottesloe | 17 March 2017 | 21 March 2017 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan="6"| Mark McGowan (17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023) |
33 | Mike Nahan | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Riverton | 21 March 2017 | 13 June 2019 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
34 | Liza Harvey | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Scarborough | 13 June 2019 | 22 November 2020 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
35 | Zak Kirkup | {{Australian party style|Liberal}} | | Liberal Party | Dawesville | 24 November 2020 | 13 March 2021 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
36 | Mia Davies | {{Australian party style|National}} | | National Party | Central Wheatbelt | 14 April 2021 | 30 January 2023 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
rowspan="2" | 37 | rowspan="2" | Shane Love | rowspan="2" {{Australian party style|National}} | | rowspan="2" | National Party | rowspan="2" | Moore | rowspan="2" | 30 January 2023 | rowspan="2" | 25 March 2025 | {{Australian party style|Labor}} | | |
{{Australian party style|Labor}} | | rowspan=2 | Roger Cook (8 June 2023 – present) | |||||||
38
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |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)}}