Liberal Party of Canada (Cinco De Mayo)

The Liberal Party of Canada is a centrist Canadian political party which is currently the Official Opposition of Canada, a position it has held since the Conservative Party took power in 2007. The current Leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition is Joyce Murray, a position she has held since January of 2013.

The Liberal Party was formed as the main party of the Canadian government-in-exile in 1950 and was legalized in Canada in February of 1989 along with other opposition parties as per the Round Table Talks. The Liberals were the leader of an opposition coalition from 1989-1994, when they took power under Jean Chrétien. Chrétien was forced to run in a by-election for an Ottawa riding after the successful 1995 Quebec independence referendum and remained as party leader until 2003, when he was ousted after the Liberal Party was returned with a bare minority government. Chrétien's successor was Carolyn Bennett, who won on the third ballot by defeating Bob Rae. Bennett would lose the 2007 general election after the Liberals had held power for 13 years.