List of Alberta official opposition leaders
Encyclopedia
The Leader of the Opposition has been a position in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...

 since 1905.

Alberta has enjoyed long periods of stable government rule, and has elected massive government majority during almost every election in its history. In most other legislatures in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

,
the opposition party is traditionally recognized as a government in waiting, and will alternate periods of government among two or three parties. In Alberta however the opposition has traditionally been very small in terms of seat numbers, and highly unstable in terms of party leadership.

Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....

 is the only Leader of the Opposition who has ever gone on to become Premier of Alberta
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...

.

The Conservative and Liberal years 1905 to 1940

In the early years of the provincial legislature the opposition was dominated by the Conservative Party. This was a party built on remnants of the old Territorial Conservative Association
Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party
The Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party also known formally as the Liberal-Conservative Association prior to 1903 and the Territorial Conservative Association after 1903, was a short lived political party in the Northwest Territories, Canada. from 1897-1905...

. The party started out in 1905 forming opposition with only 2 seats in the legislative assembly, and proportionally grew as much as 20 seats in 1921 as Albertans grew tired of the scandals of the Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

 government.

The Conservatives looked poised to form government after a strong showing in the 1917 general election
Alberta general election, 1917
The Alberta general election of 1917 was the fourth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada, held on 7 June 1917 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

. However both the Liberals and Conservatives were wiped out of the legislature in the 1921 general election
Alberta general election, 1921
The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly....

 by the United Farmers of Alberta
United Farmers of Alberta
The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...

. Albertans still distrusting of old line dominion parties opted instead for a new party that had third party status as the Non-Partisan League of Alberta and later became the United Farmers.

With the Conservatives wiped out of the legislature the Liberals formed the opposition from 1921 to 1926 confined to the cities of Calgary and Edmonton. The Liberals were helped by the fact that the United Farmers did not typically run candidates in the cities. From 1926 to 1940 there was no official opposition leader due to a Speaker's ruling that divided the Official Opposition funding between all the party leaders. However the Liberals remained the largest opposition party during this period.

A brand new party, Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....

 under William Aberhart
William Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...

, swept to power in the 1935 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1935
The Alberta general election of 1935 was the eighth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 22, 1935 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 never previously having had a seat in the legislature while the United Farmers were completely wiped out.

The Unity Movement to the rise of Lougheed 1940 to 1971

Opposition through the 1940s was dominated by the Unity Movement a coalition by Liberal and Conservatives and some former UFA supporters organized by former UFA MP Alfred Speakman
Alfred Speakman
Alfred Speakman was a politician from Alberta, Canada.-Federal political career:...

 to run candidates as Independents, in the Alberta general election, 1940
Alberta general election, 1940
The Alberta general election of 1940 was the ninth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada, was held on March 21, 1940 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 the movement was successful at forming a large opposition that nearly equaled the popular vote of the ruling Alberta Social Credit Party. The Independents however turned out to be conflicted and hard to sustain as a united force. From 1940 to 1944 the leaders of the opposition changed with every legislative session.

The Independents were promoted through a third party group known as the Independent Citizen's Association
Independent Citizen's Association
Independent Citizen's Association was a short-lived political party and lobby group in Alberta, Canada.The political party had its only representation in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, when John P...

. The last Independent opposition leader John Percy Page
John Percy Page
John Percy Page also known as J. Percy Page was a Canadian teacher, basketball coach, provincial politician, and the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.- Early life, education :...

 ran for the Citizen's Association in 1948 but was defeated, ending the Unity Movement.

The Independents' popularity started to decline in the late 1940s with new found prosperity in Alberta and satisfaction with new Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...

 as well as the province's business elite and newspaper editorial boards preferring to back Social Credit rather than risk the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation of Alberta coming to power as they had in Saskatchewan in 1944
Saskatchewan general election, 1944
The Saskatchewan general election of 1944 was the tenth provincial election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 15, 1944 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....

. The Liberal Party's support grew as support for the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....

 declined. The Liberals formed the official opposition from 1951 until the 1967 general election
Alberta general election, 1967
The Alberta general election of 1967 was the sixteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 23, 1967 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 when the Progressive Conservatives shocked the province by winning 6 seats.

In the 1959 general election
Alberta general election, 1959
The Alberta general election of 1959 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 18, 1959 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...

, 3 opposition parties managed to each win one seat in the legislature, no opposition leader was named until after the 1963 general election
Alberta general election, 1963
The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C...

.

The Progressive Conservatives led by Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....

 grew to 10 members through winning 2 by-elections and 2 floor crossings. The Progressive Conservatives defeated the 35 year rule of Social Credit in the 1971 general election
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 and have held government ever since.

Modern day opposition 1971 to present

From 1971 to 1982 the remains of the former Social Credit government held the opposition, they were unable to make a smooth transition and did not elect any new members in this period. Having spent virtually all of its history as the ruling party, they were completely unprepared for a role outside of government and sank into near-paralysis in opposition. The party collapsed in 1982, when its last 2 caucus members left to sit as Independents. The party has not been a significant force in Alberta since.

After the 1982 general election
Alberta general election, 1982
The Alberta general election of 1982 was the twentieth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 2, 1982 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 the speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta had to make a controversial ruling, on the 2 former Social Credit members bid to became the official opposition, or decide if it should go to the New Democratic Party
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...

 which held 2 seats. The speaker ruled in favor of the NDP. The new found opposition status would help the party grow to 16 seats from 1986 to 1993 until they were wiped out of the legislature by popular Liberal leader Laurence Decore
Laurence Decore
Laurence G. Decore, CM was a Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and politician from Alberta. He was mayor of Edmonton, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.- Early life :...

.

The Liberals would once again become the official opposition for the first time since 1967 under Laurence Decore who help the Liberals soar to popularity not seen since the early 1900s. Decore however did not last long as his health started to fail, and as he was pressured by party insiders to resign since many in the caucus were disappointed that they did not win the 1993 election. The Liberal party lost popularity as the Progressive Conservatives recovered support under Ralph Klein. In the 2004 general election
Alberta general election, 2004
The Alberta general election of 2004 was the twenty-sixth general election for the province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 22, 2004 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....

 the Liberal gained 16 seats under Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft is a Liberal politician in Alberta, Canada. He was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, from 2004 to 2008...

. The Liberals have held onto official opposition to present day with varying degrees of success.

List of opposition leaders

>
  Name Party Began term End term
Albert Robertson
Albert Robertson
Albert John Robertson was a politician from Alberta, Canada, and the first Leader of the Opposition in the province's history. He led the Conservatives in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1909, before being defeated in the 1909 election....

Conservative 1906 1909
Richard Bennett
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, PC, KC was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He served as the 11th Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930, to October 23, 1935, during the worst of the Great Depression years...

Conservative 1910 1910
Edward Michener
Edward Michener
Edward Michener was a politician from Alberta, Canada. He was born in Tintern, Ontario.Edward was acclaimed as Mayor of Red Deer, Alberta. In the 1904 Mayoral race, he held that position for 2 terms until 1906....

Independent, then Conservative 1910 1917
George Hoadley Conservative 1918 1919
James Ramsey Conservative 1920 1920
John Robert Boyle Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1922 1924
Charles Richmond Mitchell Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1925 1926
John C. Bowen
John C. Bowen
John Campbell Bowen was a clergy man, insurance broker and long serving politician. He served as an Alderman in the City of Edmonton on the municipal level and then went on to serve as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in opposition...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1926 1926
No Official Opposition Leader 1926–1940
James H. Walker
James H. Walker
James H. Walker was a former farmer, provincial level politician and World War I era soldier. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1944. During that time he served as official opposition leader twice and was leader of the Independents.- Early life :Walker...

Independent 1941 1941
Alfred Speakman
Alfred Speakman
Alfred Speakman was a politician from Alberta, Canada.-Federal political career:...

Independent 1942 1942
James Mahaffy
James Mahaffy
James Caven Mahaffy was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1944. Mahaffy held a seat in the electoral district of Calgary as an Independent. Mahaffy briefly served as Leader of the Opposition.-Political...

Independent 1943 1943
James H. Walker
James H. Walker
James H. Walker was a former farmer, provincial level politician and World War I era soldier. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1944. During that time he served as official opposition leader twice and was leader of the Independents.- Early life :Walker...

 (second time)
Independent 1944 1944
John Percy Page
John Percy Page
John Percy Page also known as J. Percy Page was a Canadian teacher, basketball coach, provincial politician, and the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.- Early life, education :...

Independent 1945 1948
Independent Citizen's Association
Independent Citizen's Association
Independent Citizen's Association was a short-lived political party and lobby group in Alberta, Canada.The political party had its only representation in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, when John P...

1948 1948
No Official Opposition Leader 1949–1951
James Harper Prowse
James Harper Prowse
James Harper Prowse Jr. , was a serviceman, provincial and federal politician, barrister and solicitor from Canada. Prowse served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1945 to 1959 sitting as an Independent and a Liberal in opposition...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1952 1958
Grant MacEwan
Grant MacEwan
John Walter Grant MacEwan, best known as Grant MacEwan was a farmer, Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Dean of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, the 28th Mayor of Calgary and both a Member of the Legislative Assembly and the ninth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Canada...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1959 1959
No Official Opposition Leader 1959–1963
Michael Maccagno
Michael Maccagno
Michael "Mike" Maccagno was an provincial level politician from Alberta Canada. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1955 until he resigned in 1968...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1964 1967
Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....

Progressive Conservative 1968 1971
Harry Strom
Harry Strom
Harry Edwin Strom was the ninth Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 1968 to 1971. His two and a half years as Premier were the last of the thirty-six year Social Credit dynasty, as his defeat by Peter Lougheed saw its replacement by a new era Progressive Conservative government...

Social Credit 1971 1972
James Henderson
James Douglas Henderson
James Douglas Henderson was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1963 to 1975 sitting as a member of the Social Credit caucus in both government and opposition and later as an Independent...

 (acting)
Social Credit 1973 1973
Robert Curtis Clark
Robert Curtis Clark
Robert "Bob" Curtis Clark is a former teacher, civil servant and provincial level politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1960 to 1981. During his career he served as Leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party and Leader of the Official Opposition...

 (acting until 1975)
Social Credit 1973 1980
Raymond Speaker
Raymond Speaker
Raymond Albert "Ray" Speaker, PC, OC is a farmer and Canadian politician.Speaker was born and raised in Enchant, Alberta where he farms to this day...

Social Credit 1980 1982
Grant Notley
Grant Notley
Walter Grant Notley was a provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1971 to 1984 and also served as leader of the Alberta NDP from 1968 to 1984....

New Democratic Party
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...

1982 1984
Ray Martin
Ray Martin (politician)
Raymond Martin is a politician in Alberta, Canada and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Born in 1941 in Delia, Alberta, Martin attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity...

New Democratic Party
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...

1984 1993
Laurence Decore
Laurence Decore
Laurence G. Decore, CM was a Ukrainian-Canadian lawyer and politician from Alberta. He was mayor of Edmonton, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.- Early life :...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1993 1994
Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (politician)
-Early life:He received a B.A. degree from the University of Alberta and an M.A. degree from Queen's University. From 1976 to 1979, he worked as a public servant with the Government of Alberta...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

November 12, 1994 April 17, 1998
Howard Sapers
Howard Sapers
Howard Sapers, currently the Correctional Investigator for Canada, is a former public servant and former provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing Edmonton-Glenora from 1993 until 2001....

 (acting)
Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

April 21, 1998 1998
Nancy MacBeth
Nancy MacBeth
Nancy MacBeth, née Elliott is a Canadian politician, who was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party from 1998 to 2001.-Early life:...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

1998 2001
Ken Nicol
Ken Nicol (politician)
Ken Nicol is a Canadian politician and academic.He served as the MLA for Lethbridge East from 1993 to 2004. During his final three years, he was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, and leader of the official opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

March 15, 2001 March 26, 2004
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft is a Liberal politician in Alberta, Canada. He was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, from 2004 to 2008...

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

March 27, 2004 December 14, 2008
David Swann
David Swann
David Swann, MLA is a medical doctor and Alberta Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary Mountain View. He was until recently the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Alberta Legislature....

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

December 15, 2008 September 10, 2011
Raj Sherman
Raj Sherman
Raj Sherman is an Alberta politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Edmonton-Meadowlark, formerly as a Progressive Conservative....

Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

September 12, 2011 incumbent

See also

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