Rob Lowe | Nick Lowe | Lowe's | Doug Flutie | Zane Lowe | Doug | Arthur Lowe | Doug Liman | Doug Sahm | Doug E. Fresh | Doug Williams | Doug Naylor | Doug Church | Doug Williams (wrestler) | Mundell Lowe | George Lowe | Doug Varone | Doug Scott | Doug Henning | Doug Ellis | Chad Lowe | Robert Lowe | John Lowe | Edmund Lowe | Doug McIntyre | Doug MacLeod | Doug Gilmour | Doug Ford, Jr. | Doug Dennison | Doug Carlston |
After Max Bingham stepped down as Leader of the Opposition following the July 1979 election, which had seen a swing to the incumbent Labor Party in Premier Doug Lowe's first election as leader, Pearsall was elected unopposed as leader on 7 August, with Robin Gray as deputy leader.
The Labor Party held 14, and there were three independents—former Labor Premier Doug Lowe, Green independent Bob Brown, and ex-Liberal MHA Gabriel Haros.