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Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)

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Australian politician

Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia
Incumbent
Shane Love
since 30 January 2023
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest political party in the Legislative Assembly that is not in government
Inaugural holderHenry Daglish
Formation25 August 1905
DeputyPeter Rundle

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.

At the March 2021 election, the National Party, previously in the crossbench, won more seats than the previous opposition Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly. It was likely that the National Party would become the official opposition, with advice from the solicitor-general stating that "the party with the most numbers in the Lower House must under the law become the opposition". In April 2021, the Liberal Party and Nationals Party entered into a formal alliance to form opposition, with National Party being the senior party and Liberal Party being the junior party in the alliance. The leader and deputy leader of the National Party, currently Mia Davies and Shane Love, would then be the Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Opposition respectively.

List of leaders of the opposition

№ Leader Party Constituency Took office Left office Premier
1 Henry Daglish   Labor Party Subiaco 25 August 1905 27 September 1905   Hector Rason
(25 August 1905 – 7 May 1906)
2 William Johnson   Labor Party Guildford 4 October 1905 27 October 1905
  Newton Moore
(7 May 1906 – 16 September 1910)
3 Thomas Bath   Labor Party Brown Hill 22 November 1905 3 August 1910  
4 John Scaddan (I)   Labor Party Ivanhoe 3 August 1910 7 October 1911  
  Frank Wilson (I)
(16 September 1910 – 7 October 1911)
5 Frank Wilson   Liberal Party Sussex 1 November 1911 27 July 1916   John Scaddan
(7 October 1911 – 27 July 1916)
– John Scaddan (II)   Labor Party Brown Hill-Ivanhoe 27 July 1916 16 April 1917   Frank Wilson (II)
(27 July 1916 – 28 June 1917)
6 Philip Collier (I)   Labor Party Boulder 16 April 1917 16 April 1924  
  Henry Lefroy
(28 June 1917 – 17 April 1919)
  Hal Colebatch
(17 April 1919 – 17 May 1919)
  James Mitchell (I)
(17 May 1919 – 16 April 1924)
7 James Mitchell   Nationalist Party Northam 16 April 1924 24 April 1930   Philip Collier (I)
(16 April 1924 – 24 April 1930)
– Philip Collier (II)   Labor Party Boulder 24 April 1930 24 April 1933   James Mitchell (II)
(24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933)
8 Charles Latham   Country Party York 24 April 1933 8 October 1942   Philip Collier (II)
(24 April 1933 – 20 August 1936)
  John Willcock
(20 August 1936 – 31 July 1945)
9 Arthur Watts   Country Party Katanning 8 October 1942 1 April 1947  
  Frank Wise
(31 July 1945 – 1 April 1947)
10 Frank Wise   Labor Party Gascoyne 1 April 1947 26 June 1951   Ross McLarty
(1 April 1947 – 23 February 1953)
11 Bert Hawke (I)   Labor Party Northam 26 June 1951 23 February 1953  
12 Ross McLarty   Liberal Party Murray-Wellington 23 February 1953 1 March 1957   Bert Hawke
(23 February 1953 – 2 April 1959)
13 David Brand (I)   Liberal Party Greenough 1 March 1957 2 April 1959  
– Bert Hawke (II)   Labor Party Northam 2 April 1959 31 December 1966   David Brand
(2 April 1959 – 3 March 1971)
14 John Tonkin (I)   Labor Party Melville 31 December 1966 3 March 1971  
– David Brand (II)   Liberal Party Greenough 3 March 1971 5 June 1972   John Tonkin
(3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974)
15 Charles Court   Liberal Party Nedlands 5 June 1972 8 April 1974  
– John Tonkin (II)   Labor Party Melville 8 April 1974 15 April 1976   Charles Court
(8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982)
16 Colin Jamieson   Labor Party Welshpool 15 April 1976 21 February 1978  
17 Ron Davies   Labor Party Victoria Park 21 February 1978 18 September 1981  
18 Brian Burke   Labor Party Balcatta 18 September 1981 19 February 1983  
  Ray O'Connor
(25 January 1982 – 25 February 1983)
19 Ray O'Connor   Liberal Party Mount Lawley 19 February 1983 15 February 1984   Brian Burke
(25 February 1983 – 25 February 1988)
20 Bill Hassell   Liberal Party Cottesloe 15 February 1984 25 November 1986  
21 Barry MacKinnon   Liberal Party Murdoch (1977–89) 25 November 1986 12 May 1992  
Jandakot (1989–93)   Peter Dowding
(25 February 1988 – 12 February 1990)
  Carmen Lawrence
(12 February 1990 – 16 February 1993)
22 Richard Court (I)   Liberal Party Nedlands 12 May 1992 16 February 1993  
23 Carmen Lawrence   Labor Party Glendalough 16 February 1993 7 February 1994   Richard Court
(16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001)
24 Ian Taylor   Labor Party Kalgoorlie 7 February 1994 12 October 1994  
25 Jim McGinty   Labor Party Fremantle 12 October 1994 15 October 1996  
26 Geoff Gallop   Labor Party Victoria Park 15 October 1996 10 February 2001  
– Richard Court (II)   Liberal Party Nedlands 10 February 2001 26 February 2001   Geoff Gallop
(10 February 2001 – 25 January 2006)
27 Colin Barnett (I)   Liberal Party Cottesloe 26 February 2001 9 March 2005  
28 Matt Birney   Liberal Party Kalgoorlie 9 March 2005 24 March 2006  
  Alan Carpenter
(25 January 2006 – 23 September 2008)
29 Paul Omodei   Liberal Party Warren-Blackwood 24 March 2006 17 January 2008  
30 Troy Buswell   Liberal Party Vasse 17 January 2008 4 August 2008  
– Colin Barnett (II)   Liberal Party Cottesloe 4 August 2008 23 September 2008  
31 Eric Ripper   Labor Party Belmont 23 September 2008 23 January 2012   Colin Barnett
(23 September 2008 – 17 March 2017)
32 Mark McGowan   Labor Party Rockingham 23 January 2012 17 March 2017  
– Colin Barnett (III)   Liberal Party Cottesloe 17 March 2017 21 March 2017   Mark McGowan
(17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023)
33 Mike Nahan   Liberal Party Riverton 21 March 2017 13 June 2019  
34 Liza Harvey   Liberal Party Scarborough 13 June 2019 22 November 2020  
35 Zak Kirkup   Liberal Party Dawesville 24 November 2020 13 March 2021  
36 Mia Davies   National Party Central Wheatbelt 14 April 2021 30 January 2023  
37 Shane Love   National Party Moore 30 January 2023 Incumbent  
  Roger Cook
(8 June 2023 – present)

See also

References

  1. "McGowan promises funds for opposition despite loophole". The West Australian. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  2. "WA Liberals and Nationals enter alliance instead of formal coalition following electoral wipeout". ABC News. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  3. "WA Nationals, Liberals form alliance for opposition – just don't call it a coalition". WA Today. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
Current opposition leaders of Australian states and territories
ACTNSWNTQldSATasVicWA

Leanne Castley (Lib)

Mark Speakman (Lib)

Selena Uibo (ALP)

Steven Miles (ALP)

Vincent Tarzia (Lib)

Dean Winter (ALP)

John Pesutto (Lib)

Shane Love (Nat)

Government of Western Australia
Executive Coat of arms of Western Australia
Legislative
Judicial
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