Leader of the Opposition (Victoria)

Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent Brad Battin since 27 December 2024
Term length	While leader of the largest political party not in government
Inaugural holder	George Prendergast
Formation	1904
Deputy	Sam Groth

The leader of the opposition in Victoria is the leader of the largest political party in parliament that is not in government. They are always a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Prior to 1904, opposition to the government of the day was less organised. Thus, the Victorian Parliamentary Record does not designate leaders of the opposition before then. The leader acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the opposition on the floor of parliament. They act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the party in opposition as a feasible alternate government.

The office is currently held by Brad Battin after his election to the position of leader of the Liberal Party on 27 December 2024.

List of leaders of the opposition in Victoria

No.		Name	Portrait	Party	Constituency	Term of office		Tenure	Elections	Premier
	1	George Prendergast		Labor	North Melbourne	7 June 1904	17 September 1913	9 years, 102 days	1904		Bent 1904–1909
									1907
									1908
									1911		Murray 1909–1912
									–		Watt 1912–1913
	2	George Elmslie [1]		Labor	Albert Park	17 September 1913	9 December 1913	83 days	–
	3	William Watt		Commonwealth Liberal	Essendon	9 December 1913	22 December 1913	13 days	–		Elmslie 1913
	(2)	George Elmslie [1]		Labor	Albert Park	22 December 1913	11 May 1918	4 years, 140 days	–		Watt 1913–1914
									1914		Peacock 1914–1917
									1917		Bowser 1917–1918
									–		Lawson 1918–1924
	(1)	George Prendergast [2]		Labor	North Melbourne	18 June 1918	18 July 1924	6 years, 30 days	1920
									1921
									1924		Peacock 1924
	4	Alexander Peacock		Nationalist	Allandale	18 July 1924	18 November 1924	123 days	–		Prendergast 1924
	(1)	George Prendergast		Labor	North Melbourne	18 November 1924	14 April 1926	1 year, 147 days	–		Allan 1924–1927
	5	Edmond Hogan [3]		Labor	Warrenheip	14 April 1926	20 May 1927	1 year, 36 days	1927
	6	William McPherson		Nationalist	Hawthorn	20 May 1927	22 November 1928	1 year, 186 days	–		Hogan 1927–1928
	(5)	Edmond Hogan		Labor	Warrenheip and Grenville	22 November 1928	12 December 1929	1 year, 20 days	1929		McPherson 1928–1929
	(6)	William McPherson		Nationalist	Hawthorn	12 December 1929	3 September 1930	265 days	–		Hogan 1929–1932
	7	Stanley Argyle		Nationalist	Toorak	3 September 1930	19 May 1932	1 year, 259 days	–
				United Australia					1932
	8	Tom Tunnecliffe		Labor	Collingwood	13 July 1932	2 April 1935	2 years, 263 days	1935		Argyle 1932–1935
	(7)	Stanley Argyle		United Australia	Toorak	2 April 1935	23 November 1940	5 years, 235 days	1937		Dunstan 1935–1943
									1940
	9	Thomas Hollway		United Australia	Ballarat	23 November 1940	14 September 1943	2 years, 295 days	1943
	10	Albert Dunstan		United Country	Korong and Eaglehawk	14 September 1943	18 September 1943	4 days	–		Cain 1943
	11	John Cain		Labor	Northcote	18 September 1943	21 November 1945	2 years, 64 days	–		Dunstan 1943–1945
									1945		Macfarlan 1945
	12	John McDonald		United Country	Shepparton	21 November 1945	20 November 1947	1 year, 364 days	1947		Cain 1945–1947
	(11)	John Cain		Labor	Northcote	20 November 1947	7 December 1948	1 year, 17 days	–		Hollway 1947–1950
	(12)	John McDonald		Country	Shepparton	7 December 1948	27 June 1950	1 year, 202 days	1950
	(9)	Thomas Hollway		Liberal and Country	Ballarat	27 June 1950	5 December 1951	1 year, 161 days	–		McDonald 1950–1952
	13	Les Norman		Liberal and Country	Glen Iris	5 December 1951	23 July 1952	231 days	–
	(11)	John Cain		Labor	Northcote	23 July 1952	17 December 1952	147 days	–
									–		Hollway 1952
									1952		McDonald 1952
	14	Trevor Oldham		Liberal and Country	Malvern	17 December 1952	2 May 1953	136 days	–		Cain 1952–1955
	15	Henry Bolte		Liberal and Country	Hampden	3 June 1953	7 June 1955	2 years, 4 days	1955
	(11)	John Cain		Labor	Northcote	8 June 1955	4 August 1957	2 years, 57 days	–		Bolte 1955–1972
	16	Ernie Shepherd		Labor	Ascot Vale Footscray	20 August 1957	12 September 1958 [4]	1 year, 23 days	1958
	17	Clive Stoneham		Labor	Midlands	7 October 1958	15 May 1967 [5]	8 years, 220 days	1961
									1964
									1967
	18	Clyde Holding		Labor	Richmond	15 May 1967	29 June 1977	10 years, 45 days	1970
									1973		Hamer 1972–1981
									1976
	19	Frank Wilkes		Labor	Northcote	29 June 1977	9 September 1981 [5]	4 years, 72 days	1979
									–		Thompson 1981–1982
	20	John Cain		Labor	Bundoora	9 September 1981	8 April 1982	211 days	1982
	21	Lindsay Thompson		Liberal	Malvern	8 April 1982	5 November 1982	211 days	–		Cain 1982–1990
	22	Jeff Kennett		Liberal	Burwood	5 November 1982	23 May 1989	6 years, 199 days	1985
									1988
	23	Alan Brown		Liberal	Gippsland West	23 May 1989	23 April 1991	1 year, 335 days	–
									–		Kirner 1990–1992
	(22)	Jeff Kennett		Liberal	Burwood	23 April 1991	6 October 1992	1 year, 166 days	1992
	24	Joan Kirner		Labor	Williamstown	6 October 1992	22 March 1993	167 days	–		Kennett 1992–1999
	25	Jim Kennan		Labor	Broadmeadows	22 March 1993	29 June 1993	99 days	–
	26	John Brumby		Labor	Broadmeadows	14 July 1993	22 March 1999	5 years, 251 days	1996
	27	Steve Bracks		Labor	Williamstown	22 March 1999	20 October 1999	212 days	1999
	(22)	Jeff Kennett		Liberal	Burwood	20 October 1999	26 October 1999	6 days	–		Bracks 1999–2007
	28	Denis Napthine		Liberal	Portland	26 October 1999	20 August 2002	2 years, 298 days	–
	29	Robert Doyle		Liberal	Malvern	20 August 2002	8 May 2006	3 years, 261 days	2002
	30	Ted Baillieu		Liberal	Hawthorn	8 May 2006	2 December 2010	4 years, 208 days	2006
									2010		Brumby 2007–2010
	31	Daniel Andrews		Labor	Mulgrave	3 December 2010	4 December 2014	4 years, 1 day	–		Baillieu 2010–2013
									2014		Napthine 2013–2014
	32	Matthew Guy		Liberal	Bulleen	4 December 2014	6 December 2018	4 years, 2 days	2018		Andrews 2014–2023
	33	Michael O'Brien		Liberal	Malvern	6 December 2018	7 September 2021	2 years, 275 days	–
	(32)	Matthew Guy		Liberal	Bulleen	7 September 2021	8 December 2022	1 year, 92 days	2022
	34	John Pesutto		Liberal	Hawthorn	8 December 2022	27 December 2024	2 years, 85 days	–
									–		Allan 2023–
	35	Brad Battin		Liberal	Berwick	27 December 2024	Incumbent	66 days	–

References

1. "VICTORIAN POLITICS". The Advertiser . Adelaide. 18 September 1913. p. 15. Retrieved 5 July 2011– via National Library of Australia.
2. "VICTORIA'S NEW LABOUR LEADER". The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times . TAS. 19 June 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 5 July 2011– via National Library of Australia.
3. "VICTORIAN LABOR PARTY". The Advertiser . Adelaide. 15 April 1926. p. 16. Retrieved 5 July 2011– via National Library of Australia.
4. "New Leader For Victorian Labour". The Canberra Times . 21 August 1957. p. 11. Retrieved 16 November 2014– via National Library of Australia.
5. "A.L.P. elects young leader". The Sydney Morning Herald . Melbourne. 16 May 1967 [15 May 1967] – via Google News.