# Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Australia)

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is a party office held by the Opposition's most senior member of the Shadow Cabinet in the Australian Senate, elected to lead the opposition party (or parties) in the body. Though the leader in the Senate does not have the power of the office of Leader of the Opposition (i.e. the leader in the House of Representatives and overall party leader), there are some parallels between the latter's status in the lower house and the former's in the Senate. In addition to his or her own shadow ministerial portfolio, the leader has overarching responsibility for all policy areas and acts as the opposition's principal spokesperson in the upper house. The leader is entitled to sit at the table of the Senate, and has priority in gaining recognition from the President of the Senate to speak in debate. Another similarity is that the leader typically announces changes to opposition officeholders in the Senate, including shadow ministers, party leadership and whips. The leader also has some responsibility for appointing opposition senators to committees, a role filled by the Manager of Opposition Business and whips in the lower house. The current leader is Michaelia Cash, assisted by a Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, currently Anne Ruston.

## List of leaders of the opposition in the Senate

| Senate opposition leader | Term began | Term ended | Party | Leader of the Opposition |
| Josiah Symon | 6 June 1901 | 18 August 1904 | Free Trade | George Reid |
| Gregor McGregor | 18 August 1904 | 5 July 1905 | Labor | Chris Watson |
| Josiah Symon | 5 July 1905 | 21 November 1907 | Free Trade | George Reid |
| Josiah Symon | 5 July 1905 | 21 November 1907 | Anti-Socialist | George Reid |
| Edward Millen | 21 November 1907 | 2 June 1909 | Anti-Socialist | George Reid |
| Edward Millen | 21 November 1907 | 2 June 1909 | Anti-Socialist | Joseph Cook |
| Edward Millen | 21 November 1907 | 2 June 1909 | Commonwealth Liberal | Alfred Deakin |
| Gregor McGregor | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | Labor | Andrew Fisher |
| Edward Millen | 29 April 1910 | 24 June 1913 | Commonwealth Liberal | Alfred Deakin |
| Edward Millen | 29 April 1910 | 24 June 1913 | Commonwealth Liberal | Joseph Cook |
| Gregor McGregor | 24 June 1913 | 30 July 1914 | Labor | Andrew Fisher |
| Edward Millen | 30 July 1914 | 14 February 1917 | Commonwealth Liberal | Joseph Cook |
| Albert Gardiner | 17 February 1917 | 30 June 1926 | Labor | Frank Tudor |
| Albert Gardiner | 17 February 1917 | 30 June 1926 | Labor | Matthew Charlton |
| Ted Needham | 9 July 1926 | 25 June 1929 | Labor | Matthew Charlton |
| Ted Needham | 9 July 1926 | 25 June 1929 | Labor | James Scullin |
| John Daly | 25 June 1929 | 22 October 1929 | Labor | James Scullin |
| George Pearce | 22 October 1929 | 6 January 1932 | Nationalist | John Latham |
| George Pearce | 22 October 1929 | 6 January 1932 | United Australia | Joseph Lyons |
| John Barnes | 6 January 1932 | 30 June 1935 | Labor | James Scullin |
| Joe Collings | 1 July 1935 | 7 October 1941 | Labor | James Scullin |
| Joe Collings | 1 July 1935 | 7 October 1941 | Labor | John Curtin |
| George McLeay | 7 October 1941 | 31 May 1947 | UAP | Arthur Fadden |
| George McLeay | 7 October 1941 | 31 May 1947 | UAP | Robert Menzies |
| George McLeay | 7 October 1941 | 31 May 1947 | Liberal | Robert Menzies |
| Walter Cooper | 1 June 1947 | 19 November 1949 | Country | Robert Menzies |
| Bill Ashley | 19 December 1949 | 11 June 1951 | Labor | Chifley |
| Nick McKenna | 11 June 1951 | 17 August 1966 | Labor | Chifley |
| Nick McKenna | 11 June 1951 | 17 August 1966 | Labor | H. V. Evatt |
| Nick McKenna | 11 June 1951 | 17 August 1966 | Labor | Arthur Calwell |
| Don Willesee | 17 August 1966 | 8 February 1967 | Labor | Arthur Calwell |
| Don Willesee | 17 August 1966 | 8 February 1967 | Labor | Gough Whitlam |
| Lionel Murphy | 8 February 1967 | 5 December 1972 | Labor | Gough Whitlam |
| Reg Withers | 20 December 1972 | 11 November 1975 | Liberal | Billy Snedden |
| Reg Withers | 20 December 1972 | 11 November 1975 | Liberal | Malcolm Fraser |
| Ken Wriedt | 11 November 1975 | 28 September 1980 | Labor | Gough Whitlam |
| Ken Wriedt | 11 November 1975 | 28 September 1980 | Labor | Bill Hayden |
| John Button | 7 November 1980 | 11 March 1983 | Labor | Bill Hayden |
| John Button | 7 November 1980 | 11 March 1983 | Labor | Bob Hawke |
| Fred Chaney | 11 March 1983 | 27 February 1990 | Liberal | Andrew Peacock |
| Fred Chaney | 11 March 1983 | 27 February 1990 | Liberal | John Howard |
| Fred Chaney | 11 March 1983 | 27 February 1990 | Liberal | Andrew Peacock |
| Robert Hill | 3 April 1990 | 11 March 1996 | Liberal | John Hewson |
| Robert Hill | 3 April 1990 | 11 March 1996 | Liberal | Alexander Downer |
| Robert Hill | 3 April 1990 | 11 March 1996 | Liberal | John Howard |
| John Faulkner | 19 March 1996 | 22 October 2004 | Labor | Kim Beazley |
| John Faulkner | 19 March 1996 | 22 October 2004 | Labor | Simon Crean |
| John Faulkner | 19 March 1996 | 22 October 2004 | Labor | Mark Latham |
| Chris Evans | 22 October 2004 | 3 December 2007 | Labor | Mark Latham |
| Chris Evans | 22 October 2004 | 3 December 2007 | Labor | Kim Beazley |
| Chris Evans | 22 October 2004 | 3 December 2007 | Labor | Kevin Rudd |
| Nick Minchin | 3 December 2007 | 3 May 2010 | Liberal | Brendan Nelson |
| Nick Minchin | 3 December 2007 | 3 May 2010 | Liberal | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Nick Minchin | 3 December 2007 | 3 May 2010 | Liberal | Tony Abbott |
| Eric Abetz | 3 May 2010 | 18 September 2013 | Liberal | Tony Abbott |
| Penny Wong | 18 September 2013 | 23 May 2022 | Labor | Chris Bowen |
| Penny Wong | 18 September 2013 | 23 May 2022 | Labor | Bill Shorten |
| Penny Wong | 18 September 2013 | 23 May 2022 | Labor | Anthony Albanese |
| Simon Birmingham | 23 May 2022 | 25 January 2025 | Liberal | Peter Dutton |
| Michaelia Cash | 25 January 2025 | Incumbent | Liberal | Peter Dutton |