Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales)

Australian politician

Leader of the Opposition

Incumbent
The Hon Mark Speakman SC MP

since 21 April 2023

Term length| While leader of the largest political party not in government
Inaugural holder| Charles Lee
Salary| A$309,621[1]

The leader of the opposition is a title held by the leader of the second-largest party in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of New South Wales.[2] There is also a leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council.[3] The leader acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the opposition on the floor of parliament. They act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government. They are also given certain additional rights under parliamentary standing orders, such as extended time limits for speeches.

## Leaders of the opposition in New South Wales since 1887

[edit]

Political parties

Labor Liberal Party of Australia Protectionist Free Trade Progressive Liberal Reform Party Labor (NSW) Nationalist Party of Australia
United Australia Party Democratic Party Country Party

### Legislative Assembly

[edit]

No.  | Name  | Portrait  | Party  | Constituency  | Term of office  | Tenure  | Elections  | Premier

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  | Joseph Palmer Abbott |  | Protectionist | Wentworth | 9 March 1887 | 19 May 1887 | 71 days  | –  |  | Parkes
1887–1889
| George Dibbs |  | Murrumbidgee | 20 September 1887 | 16 January 1889 | 1 year, 118 days  | –
|  | Sir Henry Parkes |  | Free Trade | St Leonards | 17 January 1889 | 7 March 1889 | 49 days  | 1889 |  | Dibbs
1889
|  | George Dibbs |  | Protectionist | Murrumbidgee | 8 March 1889 | 23 October 1891 | 2 years, 229 days  | –  |  | Parkes
1889–1891
|  | George Reid |  | Free Trade | St Leonards | 23 October 1891 | 2 August 1894 | 2 years, 283 days  | 1891
1894 |  | Dibbs
1891–1894
|  | Sir George Dibbs |  | Protectionist | Murrumbidgee | 3 August 1894 | 5 July 1895 | 336 days  | 1895 |  | Reid
1894–1899
| William Lyne |  | Hume | 14 August 1895 | 6 October 1898 | 3 years, 53 days  | 1898
| Edmund Barton |  | Hastings and Macleay | 6 October 1898 | 23 August 1899 | 321 days  | –
| William Lyne |  | Hume | 23 August 1899 | 13 September 1899 | 21 days  | –
|  | George Reid |  | Free Trade | Sydney-King | 14 September 1899 | 23 March 1901 | 1 year, 190 days  | –  |  | Lyne
1899–1901
| 1  | Charles Lee |  | Liberal Reform | Tenterfield | 23 March 1901 | 18 September 1902 | 1 year, 179 days  | 1901 |  | See
1901–1904
| 2  | Joseph Carruthers |  | Liberal Reform | St George | 18 September 1902 | 30 August 1904 | 1 year, 347 days  | –
1904 |  | Waddell
1904
| 3  | James McGowen |  | Labor | Redfern | 20 September 1904 | 21 October 1910 | 6 years, 31 days  | 1907 |  | Carruthers
1904–1907
1910 |  | Wade
1907–1910
| 4  | Charles Wade |  | Liberal Reform | Gordon | 21 October 1910 | 15 November 1916 | 6 years, 25 days  | –  |  | McGowen
1910–1913
1913 |  | Holman
1913–1920
| 5  | Ernest Durack |  | Labor | Bathurst | 22 November 1916 | 19 February 1917 | 89 days  | –  |
| 6  | John Storey |  | Labor | Balmain | 22 February 1917 | 13 April 1920 | 3 years, 51 days  | 1917
1920
| 7  | George Fuller |  | Nationalist | Wollondilly | 14 April 1920 | 13 April 1922 | 1 year, 364 days  | –  |  | Storey
1920–1921
1922 |  | Dooley
1921–1922
| 8  | James Dooley |  | Labor | Bathurst | 20 April 1922 | 9 March 1923 | 323 days  | –  |  | Fuller
1922–1925
| 9  | Greg McGirr |  | Labor | Sydney | 9 March 1923 | 16 April 1923 | 38 days  | –
| 10  | Bill Dunn |  | Labor | Wammerawa | 16 April 1923 | 31 July 1923 | 106 days  | –
| 11  | Jack Lang |  | Labor | Auburn | 31 July 1923 | 17 June 1925 | 1 year, 321 days  | 1925
| (7) | George Fuller |  | Nationalist | Wollondilly | 23 June 1925 | 24 September 1925 | 93 days  | –  |  | Lang
1925–1927
| 12  | Thomas Bavin |  | Nationalist | Ryde | 24 September 1925 | 18 October 1927 | 2 years, 24 days  | 1927
| (11) | Jack Lang |  | Labor | Auburn | 18 October 1927 | 4 November 1930 | 3 years, 17 days  | 1930 |  | Bavin
1927–1930
| (12) | Thomas Bavin |  | Nationalist | Gordon | 25 November 1930 | 5 April 1932 | 1 year, 132 days  | –  |  | Lang
1930–1932
–  |
| United Australia | –
| 13  | Bertram Stevens |  | United Australia | Croydon | 5 April 1932 | 13 May 1932 | 38 days  | 1932
| (11) | Jack Lang |  | Labor (NSW) | Auburn | 22 June 1932 | 5 September 1939 | 7 years, 75 days  | 1935 |  | Stevens
1932–1939
| Labor | 1938
–  |  | Mair
1939–1941
| 14  | William McKell |  | Labor | Redfern | 5 September 1939 | 16 May 1941 | 1 year, 253 days  | 1941
| 15  | Alexander Mair |  | United Australia | Albury | 19 May 1941 | 10 February 1944 | 2 years, 267 days  | –  |  | McKell
1941–1947
| Democratic | –
| 16  | Reginald Weaver |  | Democratic | Neutral Bay | 10 February 1944 | 12 November 1945 | 1 year, 275 days  | 1944
| Liberal | –
| (15) | Alexander Mair |  | Liberal | Albury | 13 November 1945 | 20 March 1946 | 127 days  | –
| 17  | Vernon Treatt |  | Liberal | Woollahra | 20 March 1946 | 10 August 1954 | 8 years, 143 days | –
1947 |  | McGirr
1947–1952
1950
1953 |  | Cahill
1952–1959
| 18  | Murray Robson |  | Liberal | Vaucluse | 17 August 1954 | 20 September 1955 | 1 year, 34 days  | –
| 19  | Pat Morton |  | Liberal | Mosman | 20 September 1955 | 17 July 1959 | 3 years, 300 days  | 1956
1959
| 20  | Robert Askin |  | Liberal | Collaroy | 17 July 1959 | 13 May 1965 | 5 years, 300 days  | –
1962 |  | Heffron
1959–1964
1965 |  | Renshaw
1964–1965
| 21  | Jack Renshaw |  | Labor | Castlereagh | 14 May 1965 | 23 July 1968 | 3 years, 70 days  | 1968 |  | Askin
1965–1975
| 22  | Pat Hills |  | Labor | Phillip | 30 July 1968 | 3 December 1973 | 5 years, 126 days  | 1971
1973
| 23  | Neville Wran |  | Labor | Bass Hill | 3 December 1973 | 14 May 1976 | 2 years, 163 days  | –
–  |  | Lewis
1975–1976
1976 |  | Willis
1976
| 24  | Eric Willis |  | Liberal | Earlwood | 15 May 1976 | 16 December 1977 | 1 year, 215 days  | –  |  | Wran
1976–1986
| 25  | Peter Coleman |  | Liberal | Fuller | 16 December 1977 | 7 October 1978 | 295 days  | 1978
| 26  | John Mason |  | Liberal | Dubbo | 24 October 1978 | 29 May 1981 | 2 years, 217 days  | –
| 27  | Bruce McDonald |  | Liberal | Kirribilli | 1 June 1981 | 12 October 1981 | 133 days  | 1981
| 28  | John Dowd |  | Liberal | Lane Cove | 27 October 1981 | 15 March 1983 | 1 year, 139 days  | –
| 29  | Nick Greiner |  | Liberal | Ku-ring-gai | 15 March 1983 | 25 March 1988 | 5 years, 10 days  | 1984
1988 |  | Unsworth
1986–1988
| 30  | Bob Carr |  | Labor | Maroubra | 6 April 1988 | 4 April 1995 | 6 years, 363 days  | 1991 |  | Greiner
1988–1992
1995 |  | Fahey
1992–1995
| 31  | Peter Collins |  | Liberal | Willoughby | 4 April 1995 | 7 December 1998 | 3 years, 247 days  | –  |  | Carr
1995–2005
| 32  | Kerry Chikarovski |  | Liberal | Lane Cove | 7 December 1998 | 28 March 2002 | 3 years, 111 days  | 1999
| 33  | John Brogden |  | Liberal | Pittwater | 28 March 2002 | 1 September 2005 | 3 years, 157 days  | 2003
–  |  | Iemma
2005–2008
| 34  | Peter Debnam |  | Liberal | Vaucluse | 1 September 2005 | 4 April 2007 | 1 year, 215 days  | 2007
| 35  | Barry O'Farrell |  | Liberal | Ku-ring-gai | 4 April 2007 | 28 March 2011 | 3 years, 358 days  | –
–  |  | Rees
2008–2009
2011 |  | Keneally
2009–2011
| 36  | John Robertson |  | Labor | Blacktown | 31 March 2011 | 23 December 2014 | 3 years, 267 days  | –  |  | O'Farrell
2011–2014
–  |  | Baird
2014–2017
| 37  | Luke Foley |  | Labor | Legislative Council
Auburn | 5 January 2015 | 8 November 2018 | 3 years, 307 days  | 2015
–  |  | Berejiklian
2017–2021
| 38  | Michael Daley |  | Labor | Maroubra | 10 November 2018 | 25 March 2019 | 135 days  | 2019
| 39  | Jodi McKay |  | Labor | Strathfield | 29 June 2019 | 28 May 2021 | 1 year, 333 days  | –
| 40  | Chris Minns |  | Labor | Kogarah | 4 June 2021 | 28 March 2023  | 1 year, 297 days  | 2023
| Perrottet
2021–2023
| 41  | Mark Speakman |  | Liberal | Cronulla | 21 April 2023 | Incumbent | 2 years, 115 days  | –  |  | Minns
2023–
Source: Parliament of New South Wales.[2]

## Timeline (Since Statehood)

[edit]

### Legislative Council

[edit]

No.  | Name  | Portrait  | Party  | Term of office  | Tenure

|
|
|
|
|

| 1  | Sir Henry Manning [a] |  | United Australia | 16 May 1941 (1941-05-16) | 22 April 1958 (1958-04-22) | 16 years, 341 days
| Democratic
| Liberal
| 2  | Hector Clayton |  | Liberal | 12 April 1960 | 30 October 1962 | 2 years, 201 days
| 3  | Arthur Bridges |  | Liberal | 30 October 1962 | 13 May 1965 | 2 years, 195 days
| 4  | Reg Downing |  | Labor | 13 May 1965 | 4 February 1972 | 6 years, 267 days
| 5  | Neville Wran |  | Labor | 22 February 1972 | 19 October 1973 | 1 year, 239 days
| 6  | Leroy Serisier |  | Labor | 3 December 1973 | 13 May 1976 | 2 years, 162 days
| 7  | Sir John Fuller |  | Country | 14 May 1976 | 1 August 1978 | 2 years, 79 days
| 8  | Max Willis |  | Liberal | 1 August 1978 | 20 October 1981 | 3 years, 80 days
| 9  | Lloyd Lange |  | Liberal | 20 October 1981 | 3 April 1984 | 2 years, 166 days
| 10  | Ted Pickering |  | Liberal | 3 April 1984 | 24 March 1988 | 3 years, 356 days
| 11  | Jack Hallam |  | Labor | 6 April 1988 | 2 May 1991 | 3 years, 26 days
| 12  | Michael Egan |  | Labor | 2 July 1991 | 4 April 1995 | 3 years, 276 days
| 13  | John Hannaford |  | Liberal | 11 April 1995 | 31 March 1999 | 3 years, 354 days
| 14  | Mike Gallacher |  | Liberal | 31 March 1999 | 4 March 2011 | 11 years, 338 days
| 15  | Tony Kelly |  | Labor | 8 April 2011 | 6 June 2011 | 59 days
| 16  | Luke Foley |  | Labor | 14 June 2011 | 8 April 2015 | 3 years, 298 days
| 17  | Adam Searle |  | Labor | 8 April 2015 | 8 June 2021 | 6 years, 61 days
| 18  | Penny Sharpe |  | Labor | 8 June 2021 | 28 March 2023  | 1 year, 293 days
| 19  | Damien Tudehope |  | Liberal | 21 April 2023 | incumbent | 2 years, 115 days
Source: Parliament of New South Wales.[3]

## Deputy leaders of the opposition

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### Legislative Assembly

[edit]

The deputy leader of the opposition is a position in the New South Wales Parliament held by a second-largest political party or coalition member. The deputy leader of the opposition assists the leader of the opposition in their duties and may act as the leader of the opposition if the position becomes vacant. The position was established in New South Wales in 1986, with Peter Collins becoming the first person to hold it in its formalised capacity. Before this, the deputy leader of the opposition was largely informal, with no clear mandate or responsibilities.[5]

No.  | Name  | Portrait  | Party  | Constituency  | Term of office  | Tenure

|
|
|
|
|
|

| 1  | Peter Collins |  | Liberal | Willoughby
Middle Harbour | 14 February 1986 | 2 February 1988 | 2 years, 8 days
| 2  | Andrew Refshauge |  | Labor | Marrickville | 11 April 1988 | 4 April 1995 | 6 years, 358 days
| 3  | Ron Phillips |  | Liberal | Miranda | 4 April 1995 | 27 March 1999 | 3 years, 357 days
| 4  | Barry O'Farrell |  | Liberal | Ku-ring-gai | 31 March 1999 | 28 March 2002 | 2 years, 362 days
| 5  | Chris Hartcher |  | Liberal | Gosford | 28 March 2002 | 3 April 2003 | 1 year, 6 days
| (4) | Barry O'Farrell |  | Liberal | Ku-ring-gai | 3 April 2003 | 4 April 2007 | 4 years, 1 day
| 6  | Jillian Skinner |  | Liberal | North Shore | 4 April 2007 | 28 March 2011 | 3 years, 359 days
| 7  | Linda Burney |  | Labor | Canterbury | 8 April 2011 | 7 March 2016 | 4 years, 334 days
| 8  | Michael Daley |  | Labor | Maroubra | 7 March 2016 | 10 November 2018 | 2 years, 248 days
| 9  | Yasmin Catley |  | Labor | Swansea | 2 July 2019 | 28 May 2021 | 1 year, 330 days
| 10  | Prue Car |  | Labor | Londonderry | 8 June 2021 | 28 March 2023 | 1 year, 293 days
| 11  | Robyn Preston |  | Liberal | Hawkesbury | 9 May 2023 | Incumbent | 2 years, 97 days

### Legislative Council

[edit]

The deputy leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council plays an important role in assisting the leader of the opposition in managing and leading the opposition party's activities in the upper house of the Parliament of New South Wales. The position of deputy leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council dates back to at least 1966, when James Maloney was formally recognized as the first deputy leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council according to the Alphabetical Roll of Members from the Parliament of New South Wales.[6] Maloney served in the position from 31st March 1966 to 26th April 1971. Several individuals have filled the position since then. The deputy leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council is specifically focused on supporting the opposition party's efforts, in contrast to the deputy leader of the government in the Legislative Council, who assists the leader of the government in the upper house. Despite not having a formally established date, the position of deputy leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council remains an important figure in NSW politics and an essential part of the opposition party's leadership team.

No.  | Name  | Portrait  | Party  | Term of office  | Tenure

|
|
|
|
|

| 1  | James Maloney |  | Labor | 31 March 1966 | 26 April 1971 | 5 years, 26 days
| 2  | Neville Wran |  | Labor | 7 April 1971 | 21 February 1972 | 320 days
| 3  | Edna Roper |  | Labor | 3 December 1973 | 13 May 1976 | 2 years, 162 days
| 4  | Frederick Hewitt |  | Liberal | 14 May 1976 | 7 June 1976 | 24 days
| 5  | Bob Rowland Smith |  | National | 2 August 1978 | 24 March 1988 | 9 years, 235 days
| 6  | Deirdre Grusovin |  | Labor | 6 April 1988 | 31 May 1990 | 2 years, 55 days
| 7  | Bryan Vaughan |  | Labor | 1 June 1990 | 2 April 1995 | 4 years, 305 days
| 8  | Richard Bull |  | National | 11 April 1995 | 1 February 2000 | 4 years, 296 days
| 9  | Duncan Gay |  | National | 1 February 2000 | 4 March 2011 | 11 years, 31 days
| 10  | Luke Foley |  | Labor | 8 April 2011 | 14 June 2011 | 67 days
| 11  | Adam Searle |  | Labor | 14 June 2011 | 6 March 2015 | 3 years, 265 days
| 12  | Walt Secord |  | Labor | 5 May 2015 | 2 July 2019 | 4 years, 58 days
| 13  | Penny Sharpe[b] |  | Labor | 2 July 2019 | 14 May 2021 | 1 year, 316 days
| 14  | John Graham |  | Labor | 8 June 2021 | 28 March 2023 | 1 year, 293 days
| 15  | Natalie Ward[c] |  | Liberal | 21 April 2023 | Incumbent | 2 years, 115 days

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Manning refused the role of 'official' leader of the opposition, when offered to him, owing to his beliefs in a non-partisan Legislative Council. Nevertheless he was considered by his colleagues as the de facto leader of the opposition members.[4]
2. ^ Also served as deputy leader of the opposition from 2018–2019 under Daley.
3. ^ Also served as deputy leader of the opposition from 8 May 2023 under Speakman.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "PARLIAMENTARY SALARIES AND ALLOWANCESAS FROM 1 JULY 2020. FOLLOWING APPLICATION OF PARLIAMENTARY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL dated 7 July 2020" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. 7 July 2020.
2. ^ a b "Leaders of the Opposition in the NSW Legislative Assembly, 1901–present". Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
3. ^ a b "Leaders of the Opposition in the NSW Legislative Council". Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
4. ^ Ward, John M. "Manning, Sir Henry Edward (1877–1963)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
5. ^ "Collins is new NSW deputy Opposition leader". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 February 1986. p. 4.
6. ^ Alphabetical Roll of Members of the Legislative Council of New South Wales from its reconstitution in 1934 until its reconstitution in 197. Sydney: Government Printer, [n.d.]. Accessed 23 April 2021.

## See also

[edit]

* Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party
* Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales
* Opposition (Australia)

* v
* t
* e

Current opposition leaders of Australian states and territories

| ACT| NSW| NT| Qld| SA| Tas| Vic| WA

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Leanne Castley (Lib)

Mark Speakman (Lib)

Selena Uibo (ALP)

Steven Miles (ALP)

Vincent Tarzia (Lib)

Dean Winter (ALP)

Brad Battin (Lib)

Basil Zempilas (Lib)

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