Opposition House Leader


The Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, more commonly known as the Opposition House Leader, is a member of the Official Opposition, not to be confused with the Leader of the Official Opposition, but is generally a senior member of the frontbench. The House Leader is responsible for questioning the Government House Leader on the forthcoming business of the House of Commons, negotiating with the Government House Leader and other parties' house leaders on the progress of business in the House, and managing the Official Opposition's business in the House of Commons.
The position of Opposition House Leader evolved in the 1950s as each Opposition party began to designate a particular MP to question the Government House Leader on upcoming House business. The title of Opposition House Leader became official in 1963, and in 1974, a special annual indemnity was attached to the position of House Leader in each of the opposition parties. The House Leader also coordinates the Official Opposition's floor strategy, often with the House Leaders of smaller Opposition parties. The position is particularly important when there is a minority government, or a government with a slim majority, which may be defeated by a Non-confidence vote if all Opposition parties work together.
Notable Opposition House Leaders include Herb Gray of the Liberal Party and Erik Nielsen of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Notable third party House Leaders include Stanley Knowles who was the House Leader for the NDP from 1962 to 1981, and Bill Blaikie.

List of Official Opposition House Leaders

#House LeaderPartyTook OfficeLeft OfficeParty Leader------------------------------------------------
Lionel ChevrierLiberalOctober 14, 1957February 5, 1963Louis St. Laurent------------------------------------------------
Lionel ChevrierLiberalOctober 14, 1957February 5, 1963Lester B. Pearson
Gordon ChurchillProgressive ConservativeMay 16, 1963April 21, 1965John Diefenbaker-------------------------------------------
Michael StarrProgressive ConservativeApril 22, 1965April 23, 1968-----John Diefenbaker-------------------------------------------
Michael StarrProgressive ConservativeApril 22, 1965April 23, 1968Robert Stanfield
Ged BaldwinProgressive ConservativeJuly 27, 1968September 20, 1973
Thomas BellProgressive ConservativeSeptember 21, 1973May 9, 1974----------------------------------------
Ged Baldwin Progressive ConservativeAugust 14, 1974February 24, 1976Robert Stanfield
------------------------------------------------
Ged Baldwin Progressive ConservativeAugust 14, 1974February 24, 1976Robert Stanfield
Joe Clark
Walter BakerProgressive ConservativeFebruary 25, 1976March 26, 1979
Allan MacEachenLiberalOctober 9, 1979December 14, 1979Pierre Trudeau
Walter Baker Progressive ConservativeApril 14, 1980September 8, 1981Joe Clark
Erik NielsenProgressive ConservativeSeptember 9, 1981February 8, 1983
Doug LewisProgressive ConservativeFebruary 10, 1983September 6, 1983Erik Nielsen
Erik Nielsen Progressive ConservativeSeptember 7, 1983April 5, 1984Brian Mulroney
Ray HnatyshynProgressive ConservativeApril 6, 1984July 9, 1984
Herb GrayLiberalSeptember 18, 1984February 7, 1990John Turner
Jean-Robert GauthierLiberalFebruary 7, 1990January 29, 1991Herb Gray
David DingwallLiberalJanuary 30, 1991May 8, 1993Jean Chrétien
Michel GauthierBloc QuébécoisNovember 10, 1993February 17, 1996Robert Stanfield
Joe Clark
Lucien Bouchard------------Joe Clark
-------------Brian Mulroney
-------------------
Michel GauthierBloc QuébécoisNovember 10, 1993February 17, 1996Gilles Duceppe
Gilles DuceppeBloc QuébécoisFebruary 17, 1996March 15, 1997Michel Gauthier
Suzanne TremblayBloc QuébécoisMarch 17, 1997April 25, 1997Gilles Duceppe
Randy WhiteReformJune 20, 1997January 30, 2000Preston Manning
Chuck Strahl
ReformJanuary 31, 2000April 24, 2001-----------------------------
Canadian AllianceDeborah Grey -----------------Preston Manning
Chuck Strahl
-January 31, 2000April 24, 2001-----------------------------
Canadian AllianceStockwell Day
John ReynoldsCanadian AllianceApril 24, 2001December 17, 2001
Randy White Canadian AllianceDecember 18, 2001April 3, 2002John Reynolds ---------
Chuck Strahl
-January 31, 2000April 24, 2001-----------------------------
John Reynolds Stockwell Day
Canadian AllianceApril 4, 2002December 22, 2003-----John Reynolds ------------------------------------------
John Reynolds Stephen Harper
Canadian AllianceApril 4, 2002December 22, 2003Loyola HearnConservativeJanuary 8, 2004March 21, 2004Grant Hill
John Reynolds ConservativeMarch 22, 2004January 27, 2005Stephen Harper
Jay HillConservativeJanuary 28, 2005February 5, 2006----------------------------------

Ralph Goodale
LiberalFebruary 10, 2006September 6, 2010Bill Graham---------Stephen Harper
--------------------------------------

Ralph Goodale
LiberalFebruary 10, 2006September 6, 2010Stéphane Dion------------------------------------------------

Ralph Goodale
LiberalFebruary 10, 2006September 6, 2010Michael Ignatieff
David McGuintyLiberalSeptember 7, 2010March 26, 2011
Thomas Mulcair
New DemocraticMay 26, 2011October 12, 2011Jack Layton
Nycole Turmel

Joe Comartin
New DemocraticOctober 13, 2011April 19, 2012
Thomas Mulcair
Nathan CullenNew DemocraticApril 20, 2012March 20, 2014
Peter JulianNew DemocraticMarch 24, 2014October 20, 2015
Andrew ScheerConservativeNovember 18, 2015September 13, 2016Rona Ambrose
Candice BergenConservativeSeptember 15, 2016IncumbentRona Ambrose
Andrew Scheer		---------------
-----Michael Ignatieff
----
Thomas Mulcair
New DemocraticMay 26, 2011October 12, 2011-Nycole Turmel

Joe Comartin
New DemocraticOctober 13, 2011April 19, 2012
Thomas Mulcair
-------------Candice BergenConservativeSeptember 15, 2016Incumbent----------------
--------------------Thomas Mulcair
---------------------------------

List of Official">Official party status">Official third party House Leaders

New Democratic Party

Green Party