The Role of the Opposition Leader

Leading the charge. The voice of Opposition.

The person that leads the task of, while in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, holding government accountable. That is the role of the leader of the Opposition.

The Opposition leader is usually the leader of the party with the second-largest number of seats in the legislature.

Opposition parties focus on scrutinizing government legislation, bringing forward different views on public policy and holding government to account on its budget.

The leader of the Opposition offers a counterpoint to the premier and cabinet in co-ordinating the majority Opposition and assigning shadow critic roles to Opposition members of his or her party, as well as appointing Opposition members to roles of additional parliamentary responsibility, such as Opposition whip or Opposition house leader.

Pat Mella was the first women elected to lead a provincial party on Prince Edward Island after winning the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1990, although she was not the first woman to hold the title of Opposition leader in the Legislative Assembly. The late Leone Bagnall served, for a time, as interim Opposition Leader and interim party leader after the PCs lost the 1986 provincial election.