Leader of the Opposition (Australian Capital Territory)

Leader of the Opposition of the
Australian Capital Territory
Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory
Incumbent
Mark Parton
since 10 November 2025
Opposition
StyleThe Honourable
Member ofLegislative Assembly
Shadow Cabinet
NominatorLargest non-governing party
AppointerACT Legislative Assembly
Inaugural holderTrevor Kaine
Formation11 May 1989
DeputyDeborah Morris
Salary$132,158 (additional)
$320,956 (total)[a]

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.[1]

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 Minister
1 Trevor Kaine[2] 1989 Liberal 11 May 1989 5 December 1989 208 days
Rosemary Follett
1989
2 Rosemary Follett[3] — Labor 5 December 1989 6 June 1991 1 year, 183 days
Trevor Kaine
1989—1991
(1) Trevor Kaine[4] — Liberal 6 June 1991 21 June 1991 15 days
Rosemary Follett
1991—1995
3 Craig Duby[5] — Independents Group 21 June 1991 6.5 hours[6]
4 Gary Humphries[7] — Liberal 21 June 1991 22 July 1991 31 days
(1) Trevor Kaine[8] 1992 Liberal 22 July 1991 21 April 1993 1 year, 273 days
5 Kate Carnell[9] 1995 Liberal 21 April 1993 9 March 1995 1 year, 322 days
(2) Rosemary Follett[10] — Labor 9 March 1995 5 March 1996 362 days
Kate Carnell
1995—2000
6 Andrew Whitecross[11] — Labor 5 March 1996 19 August 1997 1 year, 167 days
7 Wayne Berry[12] 1998 Labor 19 August 1997 20 February 1998 185 days
8 Jon Stanhope[13] — Labor 19 March 1998 19 October 2001 3 years, 265 days
2001
Gary Humphries
2000—2001
(4) Gary Humphries[14] — Liberal 12 November 2001 25 November 2002 1 year, 13 days
Jon Stanhope
2001—2011
9 Brendan Smyth[15] 2004 Liberal 25 November 2002 16 May 2006 3 years, 172 days
10 Bill Stefaniak[16] — Liberal 16 May 2006 13 December 2007 1 year, 211 days
11 Zed Seselja[17] 2008 Liberal 13 December 2007 11 January 2013 5 years, 60 days
2012
Katy Gallagher
2011—2014
12 Jeremy Hanson[18] — Liberal 11 February 2013 25 October 2016 3 years, 257 days
2016
Andrew Barr
2014—
13 Alistair Coe 2020 Liberal 25 October 2016 27 October 2020 4 years, 2 days
14 Elizabeth Lee 2024 Liberal 27 October 2020 31 October 2024 4 years, 4 days
15 - Leanne Castley - Liberal 31 October 2024 10 November 2025 1 year, 8 days
16 Mark Parton - Liberal 10 November 2025 Incumbent 43 days

Notes

  1. ^ The Leader of the Opposition receives a renumeration of $132,158 on top of the $188,798 base salary for a member of the Legislative Assembly

References

  1. ^ "Determination 5 of 2024 Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly" (PDF). remunerationtribunal.act.gov.au. Australian Capital Territory Remuneration Tribunal. 24 April 2024. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 11 May 1989. p. 11. Retrieved 15 August 2010. Archived 5 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 6 June 1991. p. 2238. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  4. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 21 June 1991. p. 2255. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 21 June 1991. p. 2374. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  6. ^ "Duby out, Humphries in? Chaos over vote". The Canberra Times. 22 June 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 21 June 1991. p. 2343. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  8. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 6 August 1991. p. 2379. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  9. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 11 May 1993. p. 1184. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  10. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 9 March 1995. p. 7. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  11. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 26 March 1996. p. 602. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  12. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 26 August 1997. p. 2365. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 19 March 1998. p. 9. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  14. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 12 November 2001. p. 8. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  15. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 10 December 2002. p. 4060. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  16. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 6 June 2006. p. 1721. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  17. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 12 February 2008. p. 1. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  18. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: Legislative Assembly. 12 February 2013. p. 345. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
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