Leader of the Opposition (New Brunswick)

The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government.

The leader of the Opposition is often seen as the alternative Premier to the present incumbent, and heads a rival alternative government known as the Shadow Cabinet or Opposition Front Bench.

List of opposition leaders

A cohesive and consistent official opposition first formed when A. G. Blair formed the Liberal party in the early 1880s. Previously oppositions occasionally organized over major issues such as anti-prohibitionists led by John Hamilton Gray in the mid-1850s, and pro-Confederationists under Charles Fisher in 1865-1866.

Name Electoral district (Birth–Death)	Term of office
Andrew George Blair MLA for York (1844–1907)	1879–1883	Liberal
Daniel Lionel Hanington MLA for Westmorland (1835–1909)	1883–1892	Conservative
Alfred Augustus Stockton MLA for Saint John (1842–1907)	1892–1899	Conservative
Douglas Hazen MLA for Sunbury (1853–1937)	1899–1908	Conservative
Clifford William Robinson MLA for Westmorland (1866–1944)	1908–1912	Liberal
Arthur Bliss Copp MLA for Westmorland (1870–1949)	1912	Liberal
Louis-Auguste Dugal MLA for Madawaska (1869–1926)	1912–1917	Liberal
James Alexander Murray MLA for Kings (1864–1960)	1917–1920	Conservative
John Babington Macaulay Baxter MLA for Saint John County (1868–1946)	1920–1921	Conservative
Charles Dow Richards MLA for York (1879–1956)	1921–1925	Conservative
Peter Veniot MLA for Gloucester (1863–1936)	1925–1926	Liberal
Allison Dysart MLA for Kent (1880–1962)	1926–1935	Liberal
Frederick C. Squires MLA for Carleton County (1881–1960)	1935–1939	Conservative
Hugh Mackay MLA for Kings County (1887–1957)	1940–1948	Progressive Conservative
Hugh John Flemming MLA for Carleton (1899–1982)	1949–1952	Progressive Conservative
Austin Claude Taylor MLA for Westmorland (1893–1965)	1952–1957	Liberal
Joseph E. Connolly MLA for Gloucester (1887–1973)	1957–1958	Liberal
Louis Robichaud MLA for Kent (1925–2005)	1958–1960	Liberal
Hugh John Flemming MLA for Carleton (1899–1982)	1960	Progressive Conservative
Cyril Sherwood MLA for Kings (1915–1996)	1960–1966	Progressive Conservative
Charles Van Horne MLA for Restigouche (1921–2003)	1967	Progressive Conservative
Richard Hatfield MLA for Carleton (1931–1991)	1967–1970	Progressive Conservative
Louis Robichaud MLA for Kent (1925–2005)	1970–1971	Liberal
Robert J. Higgins MLA for Saint John Centre (born 1934)	1971–1978	Liberal
Joseph Daigle MLA for Kent North (born 1934)	1978–1981	Liberal
Doug Young MLA for Tracadie (born 1940)	1982–1983	Liberal
Ray Frenette MLA for Moncton East (1935–2018)	1983–1985	Liberal
Shirley Dysart MLA for Saint John Park (1928–2016)	1985	Liberal
Frank McKenna MLA for Chatham (born 1948)	1985–1987	Liberal
Camille Thériault^[a] MLA for Kent South (born 1955)	1987–1991	Liberal
Danny Cameron MLA for York South (1924–2009)	1991–1995	Confederation of Regions
Ab Rector MLA for Oromocto (1934–2005)	1995	Confederation of Regions
Greg Hargrove MLA for York North (born 1959)	1995	Confederation of Regions
Bernard Valcourt MLA for Edmundston (born 1952)	1995–1997	Progressive Conservative
Elvy Robichaud MLA for Tracadie-Sheila (born 1951)	1997–1998	Progressive Conservative
Bernard Lord MLA for Moncton East (born 1965)	1998–1999	Progressive Conservative
Camille Thériault MLA for Kent South (born 1955)	1999–2001	Liberal
Bernard Richard MLA for Shediac-Cap-Pelé (born 1951)	2001–2002	Liberal
Shawn Graham MLA for Kent (born 1968)	2002–2006	Liberal
Bernard Lord MLA for Moncton East (born 1965)	2006–2007	Progressive Conservative
Jeannot Volpé MLA for Madawaska-les-Lacs (born 1950)	2007–2008	Progressive Conservative
David Alward MLA for Woodstock (born 1959)	2008–2010	Progressive Conservative
Victor Boudreau MLA for Shediac-Cap-Pelé (born 1970)	2010–2013	Liberal
Brian Gallant MLA for Kent (born 1982)	2013–2014	Liberal
Bruce Fitch MLA for Riverview	2014–2016	Progressive Conservative
Blaine Higgs MLA for Quispamsis (born 1954)	2016–2018	Progressive Conservative
Brian Gallant MLA for Shediac Bay-Dieppe (born 1982)	2018–2019	Liberal
Denis Landry MLA for Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore (born 1957)	2019–2020	Liberal
Roger Melanson MLA for Dieppe	2020–2022	Liberal
Rob McKee MLA for Moncton Centre (born 1985)	2022–2023	Liberal
Susan Holt MLA for Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore (born 1977)	2023–2024	Liberal

Notes

^ The Liberals won all seats in the Legislative Assembly in the 1987 election. Camille Thériault was appointed by Premier Frank McKenna as Opposition Leader to ensure proper Parliamentary functions. During that time, no opposition leader, in the sense of the office being held by the leader of the largest non-governing political party, existed.

Leader of the Opposition (New Brunswick)

List of opposition leaders

Notes

See also