# Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)

The leader of the Opposition (French: chef de l'Opposition) is the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This position generally goes to the leader of the largest party in the Legislative Assembly that is not in government.

## History

Prior to the 1903 election, British Columbia politics operated as a non-partisan democracy. Members often declared themselves to be supporters of the government or of the opposition, but the labels were informal and the lines often shifted. The most prominent member of the Opposition was often called the "leader of the Opposition", but the position was not officially recognized until the introduction of formalized party politics.

## List of leaders of the Opposition

| Name Electoral district (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Party |
| James Alexander MacDonald MLA for Rossland City (1858–1939) | 1903–1909 | Liberal |
| unknown | 1909–1910 | Liberal |
| James Hurst Hawthornthwaite MLA for Nanaimo City (1863–1926) | 1910 | Socialist |
| Harlan Carey Brewster MLA for Alberni (1870–1918) | 1911–1912 | Liberal |
| Parker Williams MLA for Newcastle (1872–1958) | 1913–1915 | Socialist |
| Harlan Carey Brewster MLA for Victoria City (1870–1918) | 1916 | Liberal |
| William John Bowser MLA for Vancouver City (1867–1933) | 1917–1923 | Conservative |
| Robert Henry Pooley MLA for Esquimalt (1878–1954) | 1924–1928 | Conservative |
| Duff Pattullo MLA for Prince Rupert (1873–1956) | 1929–1933 | Liberal |
| Robert Connell MLA for Victoria City (1871–1957) | 1933–1937 | Co-operative Commonwealth |
| Robert Connell MLA for Victoria City (1871–1957) | 1933–1937 | Social Reconstructive |
| Frank Porter Patterson MLA for Dewdney (1876–1938) | 1937–1938 | Conservative |
| Royal Maitland MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey (1889–1946) | 1938–1940 | Conservative |
| Harold Winch MLA for Vancouver East (1907–1993) | 1941–1951 | Co-operative Commonwealth |
| Herbert Anscomb MLA for Oak Bay (1892–1972) | 1952 | Progressive Conservative |
| Harold Winch MLA for Vancouver East (1907–1993) | 1953 | Co-operative Commonwealth |
| Arnold Webster MLA for Vancouver East (1899–1979) | 1953–1956 | Co-operative Commonwealth |
| Robert Strachan MLA for Cowichan-Newcastle (until 1966) MLA for Cowichan-Malahat (from 1966) (1913–1981) | 1957–1969 | Co-operative Commonwealth |
| Robert Strachan MLA for Cowichan-Newcastle (until 1966) MLA for Cowichan-Malahat (from 1966) (1913–1981) | 1957–1969 | New Democratic |
| unknown | 1969–1970 | New Democratic |
| Dave Barrett MLA for Coquitlam (1930–2018) | 1970–1972 | New Democratic |
| W. A. C. Bennett MLA for South Okanagan (1900–1979) | 1972–1973 | Social Credit |
| Frank Richter Jr. MLA for Boundary-Similkameen (1910–1977) | 1973 | Social Credit |
| Bill Bennett MLA for South Okanagan (1932–2015) | 1974–1975 | Social Credit |
| William King MLA for Revelstoke-Slocan (1930–2020) | 1976 | New Democratic |
| Dave Barrett MLA for Vancouver East (1930–2018) | 1976–1984 | New Democratic |
| Bob Skelly MLA for Alberni (1943–2022) | 1984–1987 | New Democratic |
| Mike Harcourt MLA for Vancouver Centre (born 1943) | 1987–1991 | New Democratic |
| Gordon Wilson MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast (born 1949) | 1991–1993 | Liberal |
| Fred Gingell MLA for Delta South (1930–1999) | 1993–1994 | Liberal |
| Gordon Campbell MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena (until 1996) MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey (from 1996) (born 1948) | 1994–2001 | Liberal |
| Joy MacPhail MLA for Vancouver-Hastings (born 1952) | 2001–2005 | New Democratic |
| Carole James MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill (born 1957) | 2005–2011 | New Democratic |
| Dawn Black MLA for New Westminster (born 1943) | 2011 | New Democratic |
| Adrian Dix MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway (born 1964) | 2011–2014 | New Democratic |
| John Horgan MLA for Juan de Fuca (1959–2024) | 2014–2017 | New Democratic |
| Christy Clark MLA for Kelowna West (born 1965) | 2017 | Liberal |
| Rich Coleman MLA for Langley East (born 1956) | 2017–2018 | Liberal |
| Andrew Wilkinson MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena (born 1958) | 2018–2020 | Liberal |
| Shirley Bond MLA for Prince George-Valemount (born 1956 or 1957) | 2020–2022 | Liberal |
| Kevin Falcon MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena (born 1963) | 2022–2024 | Liberal |
| Kevin Falcon MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena (born 1963) | 2022–2024 | United |
| John Rustad MLA for Nechako Lakes (born 1961) | 2024–present | Conservative |