Duties
The party with the greatest number of elected representatives outside the governing party becomes Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. This party takes the lead in holding the Government accountable for its policies and actions. The leader of this party becomes the Leader of the Official Opposition, sitting directly across from the Prime Minister in the House of Commons. The duty of the Official Opposition and other opposition parties is to "oppose," criticizing government policies and suggesting improvements, and presenting an alternative to the current Government's policy agenda.
Opposition members have various opportunities to influence the formulation of laws and policies including the daily Question Period in the House of Commons. The opposition is allocated 20 "Opposition Days" or "Supply Days" each calendar year, during which it can propose a motion for debate in the House of Commons and criticize the Government on issues of broad national policy. Members of opposition parties also serve on parliamentary committees in both the Senate and the House of Commons.
Twice at the provincial level, there has been no official opposition. The elections in Prince Edward Island in 1935 and New Brunswick in 1987 brought only one party to their respective legislatures. This situation has never occurred in the House of Commons.
The Honourable Pierre Poilievre
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| The Honourable Pierre Poilievre |
Pierre Poilievre was first elected as the Member of Parliament for the Ottawa riding of Carleton (formerly Nepean-Carleton) in 2004. After serving as the youngest MP in Parliament, Poilievre became a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Long known as a pugnacious partisan with an “attack dog” mentality, Poilievre was a fierce critic of the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Poilievre became the leader of the Conservative Party and of the Official Opposition in September 2022. He lost his seat in the 2025 election, but his party increased its seat total and vote share and once again formed the Official Opposition. Poilievre is expected to try and gain a seat in a by-election in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot. In the interim, The Honourable Andrew Scheer is the Leader of the Official Opposition as that position can only be held by a Member of Parliament.
SOURCES: Library of Parliament, The Globe and Mail.
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