# Official Opposition (Canada)

His Majesty's Loyal Opposition (French: loyale Opposition de Sa Majesté), or simply the Official Opposition (French: Opposition officielle), is usually the second-largest party (or group of parties) in the House of Commons. Typically, it is the largest party of the parliamentary opposition, which is composed of members of Parliament (MPs) who are not in government.
The Official Opposition is viewed as the caucus tasked with keeping the government in check. It is also generally viewed as the alternative government or "government in waiting". The Official Opposition maintains a shadow cabinet, with the leader of the Official Opposition at its head, of members of Parliament (MPs) and senators who often have the same portfolio areas of interest as actual ministers. The spokesperson for each portfolio is known as an opposition critic. In the event the government loses the confidence of the House or the Official Opposition party wins a general election, the party is ready to become the government.
The current Official Opposition is the caucus of the Conservative Party, assuming the role following its loss of power in the 2015 federal election. The Opposition is led by Pierre Poilievre, who became Conservative leader following the 2022 leadership election.

## Nomenclature

The formal title of "Official Opposition" is used in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. The Official Opposition is sometimes also referred to as the Loyal Opposition to express the idea that, although the group may be against the sitting government, it remains loyal to the Crown (the embodiment of the Canadian state) and thus to Canada.
Former leader of the Official Opposition, Michael Ignatieff, explains:
   "The opposition performs an adversarial function critical to democracy itself… Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

## History

After the 1921 election, the Progressive Party, a looseknit largely agrarian "protest" party, won the second largest number of seats to William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberals, but declined to be the Official Opposition because of their lack of national organization. The third-place Conservative Party, led by Arthur Meighen, thus became the Official Opposition.
As a result of the 1925 election, the Official Opposition was actually the largest party in the House of Commons, the Conservatives. The Liberals, led by Mackenzie King, were able to form a minority government despite the fact that they had a dozen fewer seats than the Conservatives because King's Liberals were able to win the support of the Progressives to remain in government. Similarly, in Ontario, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party had the largest caucus but were relegated to official opposition not long after the 1985 election, as their minority government was defeated on a motion of non-confidence. The Ontario Liberal Party, the second largest party, governed from 1985 to 1987 with supply provided by the Ontario New Democratic Party.
In 1993, the Reform Party challenged whether the Quebec sovereigntist Bloc Québécois could hold the position of official opposition. The Speaker ruled in favour of the Bloc, as they held two more seats than Reform. During the Bloc's time as the official opposition, Quebec issues on national unity dominated Question Period, often to the irritation of the other opposition parties (indeed, Reform was the only other caucus that met official party status, with the NDP and PC parties falling short of that threshold). However, Reform was considered to be main opposition to the Liberals on all other issues that were not specific to Quebec. In 1995, when Bloc leader Lucien Bouchard's position as Opposition Leader granted him a meeting with the visiting American president, Bill Clinton, Reform leader Preston Manning was also given a meeting with Clinton in order to diffuse Bouchard's separatist leverage.
In 1987, the Liberals won every seat in the 51st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly. To ensure the proper functioning of the parliamentary system, Premier Frank McKenna named several members of his own caucus, led by Camille Thériault, to serve as the Official Opposition. The government also allowed the Progressive Conservative Party, which finished second place in the election in the number of votes received, to submit written questions to ministers during Question Period.

## Privileges

The Official Opposition party has advantages over other opposition parties in the House. They are assigned to speak first after the government, and receive more time in question period than other opposition parties. It also gets more office space, funding for research, and a larger staff than other parties.
The leader of the Opposition has an official residence in Ottawa known as Stornoway and the salary and similar privileges to those of a cabinet minister. Additionally, the leader and other shadow cabinet members have the privilege of meeting with visiting foreign dignitaries, which is not always granted to members of smaller parties.

## Senate

There is also an Official Opposition in the Senate of Canada. This is the largest party in the Senate that is not in government. As the governing party is determined in the House of Commons, the Official Opposition in the Senate may actually be larger than the government party in the Senate. It is customary, however, for the Senate to pass legislation approved in the House of Commons even if the government has a minority in the Senate. Although the Senate nominally has the power to block most legislation (excepting bills which would trigger a non-confidence motion if defeated in the House, such as money bills), this power is rarely exercised in practice.
The party that forms Official Opposition in the Senate is not necessarily the same party as in the House of Commons. From 1993 to 2003, the Official Opposition in the Senate was the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, even though the Bloc Québécois was the Official Opposition in the House from 1993 to 1997, followed by the Reform Party of Canada, and then the Canadian Alliance from 1997 to 2003. This is because the BQ, and Reform Party had no Senators. However, when Senator Gerry St. Germain crossed the floor from the Progressive Conservatives to the Canadian Alliance in 2000, he argued that he should be recognized as the leader of the Opposition in the Senate as the Canadian Alliance formed the Official Opposition in the House of Commons. The speaker of the Senate of Canada ruled against him, however, as the Progressive Conservatives were the larger opposition party.

## Lists of Official Oppositions in the Parliament of Canada

| Years | Official Opposition Commons | Official Opposition Senate |
| 1867–1874 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1874–1878 | Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| 1878–1896 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1896–1911 | Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| 1911–1921 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1921–1926 | Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| 1926 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1926–1930 | Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| 1930–1935 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1935–1945 | Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| 1945–1957 | Progressive Conservative Party | Progressive Conservative Party |
| 1957–1963 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1963–1979 | Progressive Conservative Party | Progressive Conservative Party |
| 1979–1980 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1980–1984 | Progressive Conservative Party | Progressive Conservative Party |
| 1984–1993 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 1993–1997 | Bloc Québécois | Progressive Conservative Party |
| 1997–2000 | Reform Party | Progressive Conservative Party |
| 2000–2004 | Canadian Alliance | Progressive Conservative Party |
| 2004–2006 | Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| 2006–2011 | Liberal Party | Liberal Party |
| 2011–2014 | New Democratic Party | Liberal Party |
| 2014–2015 | New Democratic Party | Senate Liberal Caucus |
| 2015–present | Conservative Party | Canadian Senators Group |

### Notes

* 1 2 The Liberal-Conservative Party became the Conservative Party in 1873, however, some members still sat and were elected as Liberal-Conservatives after the change.
* ↑ From 1921 to 1924, the Progressive Party of Canada had more MPs than the Conservative Party, but it turned down the chance of being Official Opposition, and the position passed to the Conservatives.
* 1 2 3 The Conservative Party became the Progressive Conservative Party in 1945.
* ↑ The Reform Party became the Canadian Alliance in 2000.
* 1 2 The Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party merged to form the Conservative Party in 2004

## Current provincial and territorial Official Oppositions

Due to consensus government, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories do not have Official Opposition in their respective legislatures.
List of current provincial and territorial Official Oppositions :
| Leader | Jurisdiction | Party | Parl. |
| Christina Gray | Alberta | New Democratic | 31st |
| John Rustad | British Columbia | Conservative | 43rd |
| Wayne Ewasko | Manitoba | Progressive Conservative | 43rd |
| Glen Savoie | New Brunswick | Progressive Conservative | 61st |
| Tony Wakeham | Newfoundland and Labrador | Progressive Conservative | 50th |
| Claudia Chender | Nova Scotia | New Democratic | 65th |
| Marit Stiles | Ontario | New Democratic | 43rd |
| Hal Perry | Prince Edward Island | Liberal | 67th |
| Marc Tanguay | Quebec | Liberal | 43rd |
| Carla Beck | Saskatchewan | New Democratic | 30th |
| Currie Dixon | Yukon | Yukon | 35th |
| N/A | Northwest Territories | None (consensus government) | None (consensus government) |
| N/A | Nunavut | None (consensus government) | None (consensus government) |