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Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales)

Australian politician

Summary

Australian politician

Field	Value
post	Leader of the Opposition
image	KellieSloaneMP Main (cropped).jpg
incumbent	Kellie Sloane
incumbentsince	21 November 2025
termlength	While leader of the largest political party not in government
inaugural	Charles Lee
salary	A$309,621

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. There is also a leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council. 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

; Political parties

Legislative Assembly

No.	Name	Portrait	Party	Constituency	Tenure	Elections	Premier	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Protectionist}}			[[File:Sir_Joseph_Palmer_Abbott.jpg	70px]]	Wentworth				–	Free Trade}}		Parkes
1887–1889
George Dibbs	[[File:George_Dibbs_Federation_Conference_1884.jpg	70px]]	Murrumbidgee			–
		Sir Henry Parkes	[[File:Henryparkes.jpg	70px]]	St Leonards				1889			Dibbs
1889
		George Dibbs	[[File:George_Dibbs_Federation_Conference_1884.jpg	70px]]	Murrumbidgee				–			Parkes
1889–1891
		George Reid	[[File:George Reid cph.3c31684.jpg	70px]]	St Leonards				1891
1894			Dibbs
1891–1894
Protectionist}}		Sir George Dibbs	[[File:George_Dibbs_Federation_Conference_1884.jpg	70px]]	Murrumbidgee				1895	Free Trade}}		Reid
1894–1899
William Lyne	[[File:Williamlyne.jpg	70px]]	Hume			1898
Edmund Barton	[[File:Edmund_Barton_-_Swiss_Studios_(b&w).jpg	70px]]	Hastings and Macleay			–
William Lyne	[[File:Williamlyne.jpg	70px]]	Hume			–
		George Reid	[[File:George Reid cph.3c31684.jpg	70px]]	Sydney-King				–			Lyne
1899–1901
			[[File:CharlesAlfredLee.jpg	70px]]	Tenterfield				1901	Progressive}}		See
1901–1904
Liberal Reform}}			[[File:Joseph Carruthers.png	70px]]	St George				–
1904			Waddell
1904
Labor NSW}}			[[File:James McGowen Premier.png	70px]]	Redfern				1907			Carruthers
1904–1907
1910			Wade
1907–1910
Liberal Reform}}			[[File:Wade Charles.gif	70px]]	Gordon				–			McGowen
1910–1913
1913			Holman
1913–1920
			[[File:Ernest Durack, c1913.png	70px]]	Bathurst				–	Nationalist}}
Labor NSW}}			[[File:John Storey cropped.jpg	70px]]	Balmain				1917
1920
Nationalist}}			[[File:George fuller.jpg	70px]]	Wollondilly				–			Storey
1920–1921
1922			Dooley
1921–1922
			[[File:JamesDooleySpeaker.jpg	70px]]	Bathurst				–	Nationalist}}		Fuller
1922–1925
			[[File:J. J. G. (Greg) McGirr, c1917.png	70px]]	Sydney				–
			[[File:William Fraser Dunn, MP, c1920.png	70px]]	Wammerawa				–
			[[File:JackLang.jpg	70px]]	Auburn				1925
			[[File:George fuller.jpg	70px]]	Wollondilly				–	Labor NSW}}		Lang
1925–1927
			[[File:Tom Bavin 1932 (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Ryde				1927
			[[File:JackLang.jpg	70px]]	Auburn				1930			Bavin
1927–1930
Nationalist}}			[[File:Tom Bavin 1932 (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Gordon				–			Lang
1930–1932
–	Labor (NSW)}}
			–
			[[File:Bertram Stevens.jpg	70px]]	Croydon				1932
			[[File:JackLang.jpg	70px]]	Auburn				1935	UAP}}		Stevens
1932–1939
Labor NSW}}			1938
–	UAP}}		Mair
1939–1941
			[[File:Williammckell.jpg	70px]]	Redfern				1941
			[[File:Alexander mair.jpg	70px]]	Albury				–	Labor NSW}}		McKell
1941–1947
			–
			[[File:Weaver 1932.jpg	70px]]	Neutral Bay				1944
			–
			[[File:Alexander mair.jpg	70px]]	Albury				–
Liberal NSW}}			[[File:Vernon Treatt.jpg	70px]]	Woollahra			****	–
1947	Labor NSW}}		McGirr
1947–1952
1950
1953	Labor NSW}}		Cahill
1952–1959
			[[File:Murray Robson.jpg	70px]]	Vaucluse				–
Liberal NSW}}			[[File:Pat Morton.jpg	70px]]	Mosman				1956
1959
Liberal NSW}}			[[File:Robert Askin 1966.jpg	70px]]	Collaroy				–
1962			Heffron
1959–1964
1965			Renshaw
1964–1965
			[[File:Jack Renshaw.png	70px]]	Castlereagh				1968	Liberal NSW}}		Askin
1965–1975
Labor NSW}}			[[File:Pat Hills.jpg	70px]]	Phillip				1971
1973
Labor NSW}}			[[File:Neville Wran CNZM (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Bass Hill				–
–			Lewis
1975–1976
1976			Willis
1976
			[[File:Sir Eric.jpg	70px]]	Earlwood				–	Labor NSW}}		Wran
1976–1986
			[[File:Peter Coleman, June 2012, His Home (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Fuller				1978
			[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Dubbo				–
			[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Kirribilli				1981
			[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Lane Cove				–
Liberal NSW}}			[[File:Nick Greiner.jpg	70px]]	Ku-ring-gai				1984
1988			Unsworth
1986–1988
Labor NSW}}			[[File:Bob Carr.jpg	70px]]	Maroubra				1991			Greiner
1988–1992
1995			Fahey
1992–1995
			[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Willoughby				–	Labor NSW}}		Carr
1995–2005
			[[File:Kerry Chikarovski.jpg	70px]]	Lane Cove				1999
Liberal NSW}}			[[File:John Brogden office Sydney.jpg	70px]]	Pittwater				2003
–	Labor NSW}}		Iemma
2005–2008
			[[File:PeterDebnamAtANZACCeremonySydney26042006.jpg	70px]]	Vaucluse				2007
Liberal NSW}}			[[File:Premier Barry O'Farrell - Flickr - Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer.jpg	70px]]	Ku-ring-gai				–
–			Rees
2008–2009
2011			Keneally
2009–2011
Labor NSW}}			[[File:Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, John Robertson, addressing attendees at the Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards (2)-crop.jpg	70px]]	Blacktown				–			O'Farrell
2011–2014
–	Liberal NSW}}		Baird
2014–2017
Labor NSW}}			[[File:Luke Foley - June 2014 (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Legislative Council
Auburn				2015
–	Liberal NSW}}		Berejiklian
2017–2021
			[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Maroubra				2019
			[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Strathfield				–
Labor NSW}}			[[File:Chris Minns MP (cropped).png	70px]]	Kogarah		28 March 2023		2023
		Perrottet
2021–2023
			[[File:Mark Speakman (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Cronulla		20 November 2025		–			Minns
2023–present
			[[File:KellieSloane.jpg	70px]]	Vaucluse	21 November 2025	Incumbent	{{ayd	2025	11	21		}}	–
Source: Parliament of New South Wales

Timeline {{small|(Since Statehood)}}

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:90 right:80 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = Define $later = 31/12/

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1901 till:01/08/2027 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1901 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:8 start:01/01/1901

Colors = id:LR value:rgb(0.4, 0.81, 0.82) legend:Liberal_Reform id:Lab value:rgb(0.90, 0.18, 0.18) legend:Labor id:Nat value:rgb(0.39, 0.58, 0.93) legend:Nationalist id:UA value:rgb(0.05, 0, 0.55) legend:United_Australia id:LL value:rgb(0.89, 0.45, 0.36) legend:Lang_Labor id:Dem value:rgb(0.39, 0.51, 0.75) legend:Democratic id:Lib value:rgb(0.07, 0.05, 0.67) legend:Liberal id:linemark value:gray(0.8) id:linemark2 value:gray(0.9)

Legend = columns:1

BarData = bar:CLee bar:Carruthers bar:McGowen bar:CWade bar:Durack bar:Storey bar:GFuller bar:Dooley bar:McGirr bar:BDunn bar:Lang bar:Bavin bar:BStevens bar:McKell bar:Mair bar:Weaver bar:Treatt bar:Robson bar:Morton bar:Askin bar:Renshaw bar:Hills bar:Wran bar:EWillis bar:Coleman bar:Mason bar:BMcD bar:Dowd bar:Greiner bar:BCarr bar:PCollins bar:Chikarovski bar:Brogden bar:Debnam bar:OFarrell bar:Robertson bar:Foley bar:Daley bar:McKay bar:Minns bar:Speakman bar:Sloane

PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till bar:CLee from: 23/03/1901 till: 18/09/1902 color:LR text:"Charles Lee" bar:Carruthers from: 18/09/1902 till: 20/09/1904 color:LR text:"Joseph Carruthers" bar:McGowen from: 20/09/1904 till: 21/10/1910 color:Lab text:"James McGowen" bar:CWade from: 21/10/1910 till: 15/11/1916 color:LR text:"Charles Wade bar:Durack from: 22/11/1916 till: 19/02/1917 color:Lab text:"Ernest Durack" bar:Storey from: 22/02/1917 till: 13/04/1920 color:Lab text:"John Storey" bar:GFuller from: 14/04/1920 till: 13/04/1922 color:Nat #GFuller from: 23/06/1925 till: 24/09/1925 color:Nat text:"George Fuller" bar:Dooley from: 20/04/1922 till: 09/03/1923 color:Lab text:"James Dooley bar:McGirr from: 09/03/1923 till: 16/04/1923 color:Lab text:"Greg McGirr" bar:BDunn from: 16/04/1923 till: 31/07/1923 color:Lab text:"Bill Dunn" bar:Lang from: 31/07/1923 till: 17/06/1925 color:Lab #Lang from: 18/10/1927 till: 04/11/1930 color:Lab #Lang from: 22/06/1932 till: 05/09/1939 color:LL text:"Jack Lang" bar:Bavin from: 24/09/1925 till: 19/10/1927 color:Nat #Bavin from: 25/11/1930 till: 07/05/1931 color:Nat #Bavin from: 07/05/1931 till: 05/04/1932 color:UA text:"Thomas Bavin" bar:BStevens from: 05/04/1932 till: 13/05/1932 color:UA text:"Bertram Stevens" bar:McKell from: 05/09/1939 till: 16/05/1941 color:Lab text:"William McKell" bar:Mair from: 19/05/1941 till: 01/11/1943 color:UA #Mair from: 01/11/1943 till: 10/02/1944 color:Dem #Mair from: 13/11/1945 till: 20/03/1946 color:Lib text:"Alexander Mair" bar:Weaver from: 10/02/1944 till: 16/10/1944 color:Dem #Weaver from: 16/10/1944 till: 12/11/1945 color:Lib text:"Reginald Weaver" bar:Treatt from: 20/03/1946 till: 10/08/1954 color:Lib text:"Vernon Treatt" bar:Robson from: 17/08/1954 till: 20/09/1955 color:Lib text:"Murray Robson" bar:Morton from: 20/09/1955 till: 17/07/1959 color:Lib text:"Pat Morton" bar:Askin from: 17/07/1959 till: 13/05/1965 color:Lib text:"Robert Askin" bar:Renshaw from: 14/05/1965 till: 23/07/1968 color:Lab text:"Jack Renshaw" bar:Hills from: 30/07/1968 till: 03/12/1973 color:Lab text:"Pat Hills" bar:Wran from: 03/12/1973 till: 14/05/1976 color:Lab text:"Neville Wran" bar:EWillis from: 15/05/1976 till: 16/12/1977 color:Lib text:"Eric Willis" bar:Coleman from: 16/12/1977 till: 07/10/1978 color:Lib text:"Peter Coleman" bar:Mason from: 24/10/1978 till: 29/05/1981 color:Lib text:"John Mason" bar:BMcD from: 01/06/1981 till: 12/10/1981 color:Lib text:"Bruce McDonald" bar:Dowd from: 27/10/1981 till: 15/03/1983 color:Lib text:"John Dowd" bar:Greiner from: 15/03/1983 till: 25/03/1988 color:Lib text:"Nick Greiner" bar:BCarr from: 06/04/1988 till: 04/04/1995 color:Lab text:"Bob Carr" bar:PCollins from: 04/04/1995 till: 07/12/1998 color:Lib text:"Peter Collins" bar:Chikarovski from: 07/12/1998 till: 28/03/2002 color:Lib text:"Kerry Chikarovski" bar:Brogden from: 28/03/2002 till: 01/09/2005 color:Lib text:"John Brogden" bar:Debnam from: 01/09/2005 till: 04/04/2007 color:Lib text:"Peter Debnam" bar:OFarrell from: 04/04/2007 till: 28/03/2011 color:Lib text:"Barry O'Farrell" bar:Robertson from: 31/03/2011 till: 23/12/2014 color:Lab text:"John Robertson" bar:Foley from: 05/01/2015 till: 08/11/2018 color:Lab text:"Luke Foley" bar:Daley from: 10/11/2018 till: 25/03/2019 color:Lab text:"Michael Daley" bar:McKay from: 29/06/2019 till: 28/05/2021 color:Lab text:"Jodi McKay" bar:Minns from: 04/06/2021 till: 28/03/2023 color:Lab text:"Chris Minns" bar:Speakman from: 21/04/2023 till: 20/11/2025 color:Lib text:"Mark Speakman" bar:Sloane from: 21/11/2025 till: $today color:Lib text:"Kellie Sloane"

Legislative Council

No.	Party	Term of office	1	2	3
	[[File:Sir Henry Manning 1947.jpg	70px]]			****
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:Arthur Dalgety Bridges, MLC, c1954.png	70px]]
	[[File:Reg Downing 1941.jpg	70px]]
	[[File:Neville Wran CNZM (cropped).jpg	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]
	[[File:Tony Kelly.JPG	70px]]
	[[File:Luke Foley - June 2014 (cropped).jpg	70px]]
	[[File:Adam Searle Conference 2015 (cropped).jpg	70px]]
	[[File:Penny Sharpe MLC, Nov 2012.jpg	70px]]		28 March 2023
			incumbent
Source: Parliament of New South Wales.

Deputy leaders of the opposition

Legislative Assembly

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.

No.	Party	Constituency	Tenure	2
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Willoughby
Middle Harbour
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Marrickville
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Miranda
	[[File:Barry O'Farrell-crop.jpg	70px]]	Ku-ring-gai
	[[File:Chris Hartcher 03-03-2010.jpg	70px]]	Gosford
	[[File:Barry O'Farrell-crop.jpg	70px]]	Ku-ring-gai
	[[File:Jillian Skinner at the Mosman International Women's Day Breakfast.jpg	70px]]	North Shore
	[[File:Linda Burney MP.jpg	70px]]	Canterbury
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Maroubra
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Swansea
	[[File:Prue car.jpg	70px]]	Londonderry
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]	Hawkesbury	21 November 2025
	[[File:Justin Clancy-DSC00877 (cropped).jpg	70px]]	Albury	Incumbent

Legislative Council

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. 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.

Portrait	Party	Term of office	Tenure
1		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
2		[[File:Neville Wran Premier.jpg	70px]]
3		[[File:Edna Roper c1953.png	70px]]
4		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
5		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
6		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
7		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
8		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
9		[[File:NSW Minister for Roads and Ports, Duncan Gay speech at the Holbrook bypass open day (cropped).jpg	70px]]
10		[[File:Luke Foley - June 2014 (cropped).jpg	70px]]
11		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
12		[[File:No image.png	70px]]
13		[[File:Penny Sharpe MLC, Nov 2012.jpg	70px]]
14		[[File:John Graham MLC.jpg	70px]]
	[[File:No image.png	70px]]		Incumbent

Notes

References

. (7 July 2020). ["PARLIAMENTARY SALARIES AND ALLOWANCESAS FROM 1 JULY 2020. FOLLOWING APPLICATION OF PARLIAMENTARY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL dated 7 July 2020"](https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Documents/SalariesandAllowancesforMembersoftheLegislativeAssembly/LA%20Members%20Salaries%20and%20Allowances%20July%202020.pdf).
"Leaders of the Opposition in the NSW Legislative Assembly, 1901–present". [[Parliament of New South Wales]].
Ward, John M. "Manning, Sir Henry Edward (1877–1963)".
"Leaders of the Opposition in the NSW Legislative Council". [[Parliament of New South Wales]].
(February 15, 1986). "Collins is new NSW deputy Opposition leader". The Sydney Morning Herald.
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.

Wikipedia Source

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