Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)

Last updated

Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia
Western Australian Coat of Arms.svg
Toodyay show gnangarra-2000.jpg
Incumbent
Shane Love
since 30 January 2023
Term length While leader of the largest political party in the Legislative Assembly that is not in government
Inaugural holder Henry Daglish
Formation25 August 1905
Deputy Peter 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.

Contents

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". [1] 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. [2] [3] 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

LeaderPartyConstituencyTook officeLeft office Premier
1 Henry Daglish   Labor Party Subiaco 25 August 190527 September 1905  Hector Rason
(25 August 1905 – 7 May 1906)
2 William Johnson   Labor Party Guildford 4 October 190527 October 1905
  Newton Moore
(7 May 1906 – 16 September 1910)
3 Thomas Bath   Labor Party Brown Hill 22 November 19053 August 1910 
4 John Scaddan (I)  Labor Party Ivanhoe 3 August 19107 October 1911 
  Frank Wilson (I)
(16 September 1910 – 7 October 1911)
5 Frank Wilson   Liberal Party Sussex 1 November 191127 July 1916  John Scaddan
(7 October 1911 – 27 July 1916)
John Scaddan (II)  Labor Party Brown Hill-Ivanhoe 27 July 191616 April 1917  Frank Wilson (II)
(27 July 1916 – 28 June 1917)
6 Philip Collier (I)  Labor Party Boulder 16 April 191716 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 192424 April 1930  Philip Collier (I)
(16 April 1924 – 24 April 1930)
Philip Collier (II)  Labor Party Boulder 24 April 193024 April 1933  James Mitchell (II)
(24 April 1930 – 24 April 1933)
8 Charles Latham   Country Party York 24 April 19338 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 19421 April 1947 
  Frank Wise
(31 July 1945 – 1 April 1947)
10 Frank Wise   Labor Party Gascoyne 1 April 194726 June 1951  Ross McLarty
(1 April 1947 – 23 February 1953)
11 Albert Hawke (I)  Labor Party Northam 26 June 195123 February 1953 
12 Ross McLarty   Liberal Party Murray-Wellington 23 February 19531 March 1957  Albert Hawke
(23 February 1953 – 2 April 1959)
13 David Brand (I)  Liberal Party Greenough 1 March 19572 April 1959 
Albert Hawke (II)  Labor Party Northam 2 April 195931 December 1966  David Brand
(2 April 1959 – 3 March 1971)
14 John Tonkin (I)  Labor Party Melville 31 December 19663 March 1971 
David Brand (II)  Liberal Party Greenough 3 March 19715 June 1972  John Tonkin
(3 March 1971 – 8 April 1974)
15 Charles Court   Liberal Party Nedlands 5 June 19728 April 1974 
John Tonkin (II)  Labor Party Melville 8 April 197415 April 1976  Charles Court
(8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982)
16 Colin Jamieson   Labor Party Welshpool 15 April 197621 February 1978 
17 Ron Davies   Labor Party Victoria Park 21 February 197818 September 1981 
18 Brian Burke   Labor Party Balcatta 18 September 198119 February 1983 
  Ray O'Connor
(25 January 1982 – 25 February 1983)
19 Ray O'Connor   Liberal Party Mount Lawley 19 February 198315 February 1984  Brian Burke
(25 February 1983 – 25 February 1988)
20 Bill Hassell   Liberal Party Cottesloe 15 February 198425 November 1986 
21 Barry MacKinnon   Liberal Party Murdoch (1977–89)25 November 198612 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 199216 February 1993 
23 Carmen Lawrence   Labor Party Glendalough 16 February 19937 February 1994  Richard Court
(16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001)
24 Ian Taylor   Labor Party Kalgoorlie 7 February 199412 October 1994 
25 Jim McGinty   Labor Party Fremantle 12 October 199415 October 1996 
26 Geoff Gallop   Labor Party Victoria Park 15 October 199610 February 2001 
Richard Court (II)  Liberal Party Nedlands 10 February 200126 February 2001  Geoff Gallop
(10 February 2001 – 25 January 2006)
27 Colin Barnett (I)  Liberal Party Cottesloe 26 February 20019 March 2005 
28 Matt Birney   Liberal Party Kalgoorlie 9 March 200524 March 2006 
  Alan Carpenter
(25 January 2006 – 23 September 2008)
29 Paul Omodei   Liberal Party Warren-Blackwood 24 March 200617 January 2008 
30 Troy Buswell   Liberal Party Vasse 17 January 20084 August 2008 
Colin Barnett (II)  Liberal Party Cottesloe 4 August 200823 September 2008 
31 Eric Ripper   Labor Party Belmont 23 September 200823 January 2012  Colin Barnett
(23 September 2008 – 17 March 2017)
32 Mark McGowan   Labor Party Rockingham 23 January 201217 March 2017 
Colin Barnett (III)  Liberal Party Cottesloe 17 March 201721 March 2017  Mark McGowan
(17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023)
33 Mike Nahan   Liberal Party Riverton 21 March 201713 June 2019 
34 Liza Harvey   Liberal Party Scarborough 13 June 201922 November 2020 
35 Zak Kirkup   Liberal Party Dawesville 24 November 202013 March 2021 
36 Mia Davies   National Party Central Wheatbelt 14 April 202130 January 2023 
37 Shane Love   National Party Moore 30 January 2023Incumbent 
  Roger Cook
(8 June 2023 – present)

See also

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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.