by Maurice Y. Michaud (he/him)
In a Westminster-style parliament, those not elected to the government side are referred to as members of the loyal opposition, their loyalty being to the King, the country, and the constituents they represent. With the alternance of power inherent to this style of government, the members of the party with the most seats after the government are also often called the government in waiting. Unfortunately, the dominant voting method in Canada has led many such members to being grossly underrepresented in their assembly, and having to wait a very long time — assuming they ever make it to forming a government. Federally, the Liberals have governed during more than two-thirds of the 20th century, while some provinces like Alberta and Ontario have had political dynasties that governed uninterrupted for more than 30 to 40 years.
In 1967, Robert Stanfield, the popular Progressive Conservative premier of Nova Scotia, left that job to lead the federal PCs. He quit in 1976 after failing three times to beat the Liberals, although he came very close in 1972, reducing them to a tenuous minority. When the tributes were pouring in upon his death in 2003, many commentators referred to Stanfield as “the best prime minister Canada never had.” Halifax International Airport
is named in his honour.
So far, in the 12 partisan assemblies, 462 persons have been leaders of the official opposition.
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