# Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)

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 | 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 | Newton Moore (7 May 1906 – 16 September 1910) |
| 4 | John Scaddan (I) | Labor Party | Ivanhoe | 3 August 1910 | 7 October 1911 | Newton Moore (7 May 1906 – 16 September 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 | 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) |
| 6 | Philip Collier (I) | Labor Party | Boulder | 16 April 1917 | 16 April 1924 | Hal Colebatch (17 April 1919 – 17 May 1919) |
| 6 | Philip Collier (I) | Labor Party | Boulder | 16 April 1917 | 16 April 1924 | 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) |
| 8 | Charles Latham | Country Party | York | 24 April 1933 | 8 October 1942 | John Willcock (20 August 1936 – 31 July 1945) |
| 9 | Arthur Watts | Country Party | Katanning | 8 October 1942 | 1 April 1947 | 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 | Ross McLarty (1 April 1947 – 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 (23 February 1953 – 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 (2 April 1959 – 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 (3 March 1971 – 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 | Charles Court (8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982) |
| 17 | Ron Davies | Labor Party | Victoria Park | 21 February 1978 | 18 September 1981 | Charles Court (8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982) |
| 18 | Brian Burke | Labor Party | Balcatta | 18 September 1981 | 19 February 1983 | Charles Court (8 April 1974 – 25 January 1982) |
| 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 | Brian Burke (25 February 1983 – 25 February 1988) |
| 21 | Barry MacKinnon | Liberal Party | Murdoch (1977–89) | 25 November 1986 | 12 May 1992 | Brian Burke (25 February 1983 – 25 February 1988) |
| 21 | Barry MacKinnon | Liberal Party | Jandakot (1989–93) | 25 November 1986 | 12 May 1992 | Peter Dowding (25 February 1988 – 12 February 1990) |
| 21 | Barry MacKinnon | Liberal Party | Jandakot (1989–93) | 25 November 1986 | 12 May 1992 | Carmen Lawrence (12 February 1990 – 16 February 1993) |
| 22 | Richard Court (I) | Liberal Party | Nedlands | 12 May 1992 | 16 February 1993 | Carmen Lawrence (12 February 1990 – 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 | Richard Court (16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001) |
| 25 | Jim McGinty | Labor Party | Fremantle | 12 October 1994 | 15 October 1996 | Richard Court (16 February 1993 – 10 February 2001) |
| 26 | Geoff Gallop | Labor Party | Victoria Park | 15 October 1996 | 10 February 2001 | Richard Court (16 February 1993 – 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 | Geoff Gallop (10 February 2001 – 25 January 2006) |
| 28 | Matt Birney | Liberal Party | Kalgoorlie | 9 March 2005 | 24 March 2006 | Geoff Gallop (10 February 2001 – 25 January 2006) |
| 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 | Alan Carpenter (25 January 2006 – 23 September 2008) |
| 30 | Troy Buswell | Liberal Party | Vasse | 17 January 2008 | 4 August 2008 | Alan Carpenter (25 January 2006 – 23 September 2008) |
| – | Colin Barnett (II) | Liberal Party | Cottesloe | 4 August 2008 | 23 September 2008 | Alan Carpenter (25 January 2006 – 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 (23 September 2008 – 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 | Mark McGowan (17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023) |
| 34 | Liza Harvey | Liberal Party | Scarborough | 13 June 2019 | 22 November 2020 | Mark McGowan (17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023) |
| 35 | Zak Kirkup | Liberal Party | Dawesville | 24 November 2020 | 13 March 2021 | Mark McGowan (17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023) |
| 36 | Mia Davies | National Party | Central Wheatbelt | 14 April 2021 | 30 January 2023 | Mark McGowan (17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023) |
| 37 | Shane Love | National Party | Moore | 30 January 2023 | Incumbent | Mark McGowan (17 March 2017 – 8 June 2023) |
| 37 | Shane Love | National Party | Moore | 30 January 2023 | Incumbent | Roger Cook (8 June 2023 – present) |