Leader of the Opposition (Tasmania)

Leader of the Opposition
File:David O’Byrne.jpg Incumbent David O’Byrne since 15 June 2021
Term length	While leader of the largest political party not in government
Inaugural holder	Thomas Gregson
Formation	November 1856
Deputy	Anita Dow

The Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania is the title of the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the Tasmanian House of Assembly. They act as the public face of the opposition, leads the opposition on the floor of parliament. They thus 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. Should the opposition win an election, the Leader of the Opposition will usually be nominated to become the Premier of Tasmania.

The position of Leader of the Opposition was essentially informal throughout the nineteenth century, with formal recognition only being granted in the early twentieth century. As there was no party system until 1909, the loose ideological blocs in parliament tended to change regularly, and few people lasted in the position for more than one or two years at a time. The development of a party system gave the role greater significance, and it was subsequently given greater formal recognition, with an additional salary payment being accommodated for in 1927 and formal recognition in the parliamentary standing orders in 1937.

The current Leader of the Opposition is David O’Byrne of the Labor Party. He has been in the role since 15 June 2021, having been elected to the leadership after Rebecca White stood down as her role as Leader.

List of Leaders of the Opposition in Tasmania

No.		Name	Portrait	Term of office		Party
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	1	Thomas Gregson		November 1856	February 1857
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	2	William Champ		February 1857	April 1857
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(1)	Thomas Gregson		April 1857	July 1862
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	3	Charles Meredith		July 1862	January 1863
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	4	Thomas Chapman		February 1863	June 1864
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	5	Sir William Dobson		June 1864	November 1866
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(3)	Charles Meredith		November 1866	November 1872
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	6	William Giblin		November 1872	August 1873
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	7	Frederick Innes		August 1873	March 1875
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	8	Thomas Reibey		August 1875	July 1876
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(6)	William Giblin		July 1876	June 1877
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	9	Philip Fysh		July 1877	August 1877
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(8)	Thomas Reibey		September 1877	December 1878
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(6)	William Giblin		January 1879	October 1879
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	9	Alfred Dobson		October 1882	July 1885
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(8)	Thomas Reibey		July 1885	August 1886
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	10	Sir Edward Braddon		August 1886	March 1887
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	11	Nicholas Brown		July 1887	July 1889
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	12	William Burgess		July 1889	August 1891
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	13	Henry Dobson		September 1891	August 1892
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	14	Stafford Bird		August 1892	February 1894
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(10)	Sir Edward Braddon		February 1894	April 1894
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	15	Sir Elliott Lewis		May 1894	November 1897
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	16	Andrew Clark		November 1897	May 1898
style="background:Template:Independent politician/meta/color;"|	(14)	Stafford Bird		June 1898	October 1899
style="background:Template:Free Trade Party/meta/color;"|	(10)	Sir Edward Braddon		October 1899	March 1901	Free Trade
style="background:Template:Protectionist Party/meta/color;"|	(8)	Sir Thomas Reibey		May 1901	October 1901	Protectionist
style="background:Template:Protectionist Party/meta/color;"|	17	William Propsting		October 1901	April 1903	Protectionist
style="background:Template:Free Trade Party/meta/color;"|	18	Robert Patterson		May 1903	March 1904	Anti-Socialist
style="background:Template:Free Trade Party/meta/color;"|	19	Sir John Evans		March 1904	July 1904	Anti-Socialist
style="background:Template:Protectionist Party/meta/color;"|	(17)	William Propsting		July 1904	December 1905	Protectionist
style="background:Template:Protectionist Party/meta/color;"|	20	Herbert Nicholls		May 1906	January 1909	Protectionist
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	21	John Earle		June 1909	October 1909	Labor
style="background:Template:Free Trade Party/meta/color;"|	(15)	Sir Elliot Lewis		October 1909	October 1909	Anti-Socialist
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	(21)	John Earle		October 1909	April 1914	Labor
style="background:Template:Tasmanian Liberal League/meta/color;"|	22	Albert Solomon		April 1914	October 1914	Liberal
style="background:Template:Tasmanian Liberal League/meta/color;"|	23	Norman Ewing		October 1914	September 1915	Liberal
style="background:Template:Tasmanian Liberal League/meta/color;"|	24	Sir Walter Lee		September 1915	April 1916	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	(21)	John Earle		April 1916	November 1916	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	25	Joseph Lyons		November 1916	October 1923	Labor
style="background:Template:National Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	26	Edward Hobbs		October 1923	November 1923	Country
style="background:Template:Nationalist Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	27	James Newton		November 1923	October 1924	Nationalist
style="background:Template:National Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	(26)	Edward Hobbs		October 1924	July 1925	Country
style="background:Template:Nationalist Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	28	Sir John McPhee		July 1925	June 1928	Nationalist
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	(25)	Joseph Lyons		July 1928	September 1929	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	29	Benjamin Watkins		September 1929	October 1929	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	30	Albert Ogilvie		October 1929	June 1934	Labor
style="background:Template:Nationalist Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	(24)	Sir Walter Lee		July 1934	July 1936	Nationalist
style="background:Template:Nationalist Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	31	Henry Baker		July 1936	February 1945	Nationalist
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	32	Neil Campbell		February 1945	February 1950	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	33	Reginald Townley		6 February 1950	26 June 1956	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	34	Tim Jackson		26 June 1956	March 1960	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	35	Sir Angus Bethune		19 March 1960	27 May 1969	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	36	Eric Reece		27 May 1969	4 May 1972	Labor
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	37	Max Bingham		4 May 1972	7 August 1979	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	38	Geoff Pearsall		7 August 1979	11 November 1981	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	39	Robin Gray		11 November 1981	27 May 1982	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	40	Ken Wriedt		27 May 1982	19 February 1986	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	41	Neil Batt		19 February 1986	14 December 1988	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	42	Michael Field		14 December 1988	29 June 1989	Labor
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	43	Robin Gray		29 June 1989	17 December 1991	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	44	Ray Groom		17 December 1991	17 February 1992	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	45	Michael Field		17 February 1992	14 April 1997	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	46	Jim Bacon		14 April 1997	14 September 1998	Labor
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	47	Tony Rundle		14 September 1998	2 July 1999	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	48	Sue Napier		2 July 1999	20 August 2001	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	49	Bob Cheek		20 August 2001	6 August 2002	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	50	Rene Hidding		6 August 2002	30 March 2006	Liberal
style="background:Template:Liberal Party of Australia/meta/color;"|	51	Will Hodgman		30 March 2006	31 March 2014	Liberal
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	52	Bryan Green		31 March 2014	17 March 2017	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	53	Rebecca White		17 March 2017	15 May 2021	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	54	Anita Dow		17 May 2021	15 June 2021	Temporary Leader/Acting Leader	Labor
style="background:Template:Australian Labor Party/meta/color;"|	55	David O’Byrne	[File: File:David O’Byrne.jpg	15 June 2021	Labor

External links

• Leaders of the Opposition (Parliament of Tasmania)