Leader of the Opposition (Australian Capital Territory)

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]

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.