The leader of the opposition of the Australian Capital Territory, is an official role usually occupied by the leader of the second largest party or coalition in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
Structure The title is conferred under Standing Order 5A of the ACT Legislative Assembly, that the leader of the opposition shall be the leader of the largest non-Government party, with the consent of that member. In the event of an equal number of members of the second largest party, the Assembly shall vote and elect a leader of the opposition.
Prior to 1991, the Opposition Leader was elected by a simple majority of the assembly with the government abstaining. However this was changed to be automatically the largest non-government party following the six and a half hour Duby Opposition Leadership.
The Leader of the Opposition receives a bonus salary of $132,158 on top of the $188,798 base salary already received by every member of the Legislative Assembly. Given the Opposition Leader must be an MLA, their total salary amounts to $320,956.
History The office of Opposition Leader has been primarily held by the leader of the ACT Branch of the Liberal Party. The party has held it consecutively through the last 24 years and 9 officeholders.
It has, however been held by the ACT Branch of the Labor Party on a number of occasions. Firstly during the brief Kaine government, and then again for a longer period of six years through the Carnell and Humphries governments.
The office has been held only once by a non-major party, that being Craig Duby of the Independents Group who stylised himself as "Coordinator of Non-Government Business". On 21 June 1991, Trevor Kaine resigned from the position to allow his party leader successor Gary Humphries to take the position on. As the Liberals did not have a majority of the non-government seats, they were susceptible to a challenge by another group for the position. That challenge came from Duby who was elected and served for six and a half hours before the Labor and Liberal combined majority changed the standing orders.
List of opposition leaders of the Australian Capital Territory No. Portrait Name Election Party Term Duration Chief Minister1 Trevor Kaine 1989 Liberal 11 May 1989 5 December 1989 days Rosemary Follett19892 Rosemary Follett — Labor 5 December 1989 6 June 1991 Trevor Kaine1989—1991(1) Trevor Kaine — Liberal 6 June 1991 21 June 1991 days Rosemary Follett1991—19953 Craig Duby — Independents Group 21 June 1991 6.5 hours4 Gary Humphries — Liberal 21 June 1991 22 July 1991 days(1) Trevor Kaine 1992 Liberal 22 July 1991 21 April 1993 5 Kate Carnell 1995 Liberal 21 April 1993 9 March 1995 (2) Rosemary Follett — Labor 9 March 1995 5 March 1996 days Kate Carnell1995—20006 Andrew Whitecross — Labor 5 March 1996 19 August 1997 7 Wayne Berry 1998 Labor 19 August 1997 20 February 1998 days8 Jon Stanhope — Labor 19 March 1998 19 October 2001 2001 Gary Humphries2000—2001(4) Gary Humphries — Liberal 12 November 2001 25 November 2002 Jon Stanhope2001—20119 Brendan Smyth 2004 Liberal 25 November 2002 16 May 2006 10 Bill Stefaniak — Liberal 16 May 2006 13 December 2007 11 Zed Seselja 2008 Liberal 13 December 2007 11 January 2013 2012 Katy Gallagher2011—201412 Jeremy Hanson — Liberal 11 February 2013 25 October 2016 2016 Andrew Barr2014—13 Alistair Coe 2020 Liberal 25 October 2016 27 October 2020 14 Elizabeth Lee 2024 Liberal 27 October 2020 31 October 2024 15 Leanne Castley — Liberal 31 October 2024 10 November 2025 16 Mark Parton —Liberal10 November 2025Incumbent
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