List of Australian Leaders of the Opposition

In Australian Federal Politics the Leader of the Opposition is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives. The Leader of the Opposition is usually the leader of the party which has the most seats but is not part of the Government. In Parliament the Leader of the Opposition sits on the left-hand side of the table in the centre, in front of the Opposition and opposite the Prime Minister. The Opposition Leader is elected by the Opposition Party. A new Opposition Leader may be elected if the person in the position dies, resigns or is challenged for the leadership.

The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. It is based on the British Westminster model. The term Opposition has a specific meaning in the parliamentary system. Its formal title is Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. This is an important part of the Westminster system. The Opposition directs its criticism at the Government and attempts to defeat and replace the Government. The Opposition is therefore the 'Government in waiting' and it is a formal part of the parliamentary system, just as is the Government. It is in opposition to the Government, but not to the Crown, hence the term 'Loyal Opposition'.

The current Leader of the Opposition is Angus Taylor since 13 February 2026, following the Liberal Party's defeat in the 2025 federal election.

List of leaders of the opposition

 No.  Leader Party Constituency Took office Left officePrime Minister Ref1George Reid60px Free TradeEast Sydney (NSW)19 May 190117 August 1904  Barton 1901–03  Deakin 1903–04  Watson 1904 2 Chris Watson 60px  Labor Bland (NSW) 18 August 1904 5 July 1905  Reid 1904–05(1)George Reid60px  Free Trade / Anti-SocialistEast Sydney (NSW)7 July 190516 November 1908  Deakin 1905–08 Fisher 1908–09 3 Joseph Cook 60px Anti-Socialist Parramatta (NSW) 17 November 1908 26 May 1909 4 Alfred Deakin 60px  Liberal Ballaarat (Vic) 26 May 1909 2 June 1909 5 Andrew Fisher 60px  Labor Wide Bay (Qld) 2 June 1909 29 April 1910  Deakin 1909 (4) Alfred Deakin 60px  Liberal Ballaarat (Vic) 1 July 1910 20 January 1913 Fisher 1910–13 (3) Joseph Cook 60px Parramatta (NSW) 20 January 1913 24 June 1913 (5) Andrew Fisher 60px  Labor Wide Bay (Qld) 8 July 1913 17 September 1914  Cook 1913–14(3)Joseph Cook60px LiberalParramatta (NSW)8 October 191417 February 1917  Fisher 1914–15 Hughes 1915–23  6 Frank Tudor 60px  Labor Yarra (Vic) 17 February 1917 10 January 1922 7Matthew Charlton60pxHunter (NSW)25 January 192229 March 1928  Bruce 1923–29 8 James Scullin 60px Yarra (Vic) 29 March 1928 22 October 1929  9 John Latham 60px  Nationalist Kooyong (Vic) 20 November 1929 7 May 1931 Scullin 1929–32 10 Joseph Lyons 60px  United Australia Wilmot (Tas) 7 May 1931 6 January 1932 (8) James Scullin 60px  Labor Yarra (Vic) 6 January 1932 1 October 1935 Lyons 1932–3911John Curtin60pxFremantle (WA)1 October 19357 October 1941   Page 1939  Menzies 1939–41  Fadden 1941 12 Arthur Fadden 60px  Country Darling Downs (Qld) 7 October 1941 23 September 1943 Curtin 1941–4513Robert Menzies60px  United AustraliaKooyong (Vic)23 September 194319 December 1949 Liberal  Forde 1945  Chifley 1945–49 14 Ben Chifley 60px  Labor Macquarie (NSW) 19 December 1949 13 June 1951 Menzies 1949–66 15 H. V. Evatt 60px Barton (NSW) 1940–58Hunter (NSW) 1958–60 20 June 1951 9 February 1960 16Arthur Calwell60pxMelbourne (Vic)7 March 19608 February 1967  Holt 1966–6717Gough Whitlam60pxWerriwa (NSW)8 February 19672 December 1972   McEwen 1967–68  Gorton 1968–71  McMahon 1971–72 18 Billy Snedden 60px  Liberal Bruce (Vic) 20 December 1972 21 March 1975 Whitlam 1972–75 19 Malcolm Fraser 60px Wannon (Vic) 21 March 1975 11 November 1975 (17) Gough Whitlam 60px  Labor Werriwa (NSW) 11 November 1975 22 December 1977 Fraser 1975–83 20 Bill Hayden 60px Oxley (Qld) 22 December 1977 8 February 1983 21 Bob Hawke 60px Wills (Vic) 8 February 1983 11 March 1983 22 Andrew Peacock 60px  Liberal Kooyong (Vic) 11 March 1983 5 September 1985 Hawke 1983–91 23 John Howard 60px Bennelong (NSW) 5 September 1985 9 May 1989  (22) Andrew Peacock 60px Kooyong (Vic) 9 May 1989 3 April 1990  24John Hewson60pxWentworth (NSW)3 April 199023 May 1994  Keating 1991–96 25 Alexander Downer 60px Mayo (SA) 23 May 1994 30 January 1995  (23) John Howard 60px Bennelong (NSW) 30 January 1995 11 March 1996  26 Kim Beazley 60px  Labor Brand (WA) 19 March 1996 22 November 2001 Howard 1996–07  27 Simon Crean 60px Hotham (Vic) 22 November 2001 2 December 2003  28 Mark Latham 60px Werriwa (NSW) 2 December 2003 18 January 2005  (26) Kim Beazley 60px Brand (WA) 28 January 2005 4 December 2006  29 Kevin Rudd 60px Griffith (Qld) 4 December 2006 3 December 2007  30 Brendan Nelson 60px  Liberal Bradfield (NSW) 3 December 2007 16 September 2008 Rudd 2007–10  31 Malcolm Turnbull 60px Wentworth (NSW) 16 September 2008 1 December 2009  32Tony Abbott60pxWarringah (NSW)1 December 200918 September 2013   Gillard 2010–13  Rudd 201333Bill Shorten60px LaborMaribyrnong (Vic)13 October 201330 May 2019  Abbott 2013–15  Turnbull 2015–18 Morrison 2018–22 34 Anthony Albanese 60px Grayndler (NSW) 30 May 2019 23 May 2022 35 Peter Dutton 60px  Liberal Dickson (Qld) 30 May 2022 3 May 2025  Albanese 2022– 36 Sussan Ley 60px Farrer (NSW) 13 May 2025 13 February 2026 

Related pages
 Leader of the Opposition
 Prime Minister of Australia

Notes

Shows an Opposition Leader who had previously been Prime Minister.

Shows an Opposition Leader who later became Prime Minister.

Gough Whitlam refused to use the title Leader of the Opposition between the dismissal of his government in November 1975 and the first meeting of the new parliament in February 1976. During the election campaign in December 1975 he styled himself as the Leader of the Majority in the House of Representatives.

Notes

References

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Category:Lists of Australian politicians