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Parliamentary opposition is a form ofpolitical opposition to a designated government, particularly in aWestminster-basedparliamentary system. This article uses the termgovernment as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaningthe administration orthe cabinet rather thanthe state. In some countries, the title of "Official Opposition" is conferred upon the largestpolitical party sitting in opposition in the legislature, with said party's leader being accorded the title "Leader of the Opposition".
Infirst-past-the-post assemblies, where thetendency to gravitate into two majorparties or party groupings operates strongly,government andopposition roles can go to the two main groupings serially in alternation.
The more proportionally representative a system, the greater the likelihood of multiple political parties appearing in the parliamentarydebating chamber. Such systems can foster multiple "opposition" parties which may have little in common and minimal desire to form a united bloc opposed to the government of the day.
Some well-organised democracies,dominated long-term by a single faction, reduce their parliamentary opposition totokenism. In some cases, in more authoritarian countries, tame "opposition" parties are created by the governing groups in order to create an impression of democratic debate.
Some legislatures offer opposition parties particular powers. InCanada, theUnited Kingdom, andNew Zealand, 20 days each year are set aside as "Opposition Days" or "Supply Days", during which the opposition gets to set the agenda.[1] Canada also has aQuestion Period, during which the opposition (and the Parliament generally) can ask questions of government ministers.