Member of the Legislative Assembly
Encyclopedia
A Member of the Legislative Assembly (abbreviated MLA) or a Member of the Legislature (abbreviated ML), is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature
or legislative assembly
of a sub-national jurisdiction.
and Queensland
.
In Western Australia
, Northern Territory
and Australian Capital Territory
, members are known as MLAs. However the suffix MP is also commonly used. South Australia and Tasmania have a House of Assembly
and denote its members MHA.
In Victoria
members can use either MP or MLA.
In federal parliament, members of the House of Representatives
are designated MP and not MHR.
Legislative Assembly is actually called Legislative Chamber , and is composed by deputados distritais (district deputies). Unlike the federal legislative body, which is bicameral, Brazilian states legislatures are unicameral. Members of the Lower House
are also called deputies, but they are deputados federais (federal deputies).
, members of legislative assemblies are called MLAs in all provinces and territories except:
Members of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia
, Alberta
, Saskatchewan
, Manitoba
, New Brunswick
, Nova Scotia
(despite being a House of Assembly), Prince Edward Island
and in the three territories (Yukon
, NWT and Nunavut
) are known as MLAs.
(which had existed since the 1840s) was replaced with the new Legislative Assembly. As a result, Members of the Legislative Assembly are often still referred to as Councillor
s.
of a State in the India
n system of government
.
, the devolved
legislature
of Northern Ireland
are known as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly).
The Assembly was suspended on October 14, 2002 but the persons elected to it at the 2003 Assembly Election
were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 for the purpose of electing a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive (before 25 November 2006) as a preliminary to the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. Another election
was held on 7 March 2007 and powers were restored to the Assembly in May 2007.
.
The formal name varies from state to state. In 24 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature as the Legislative Assembly.
Just as a member of the United States House of Representatives
is officially a member of Congress (abbreviated MC) despite being referred as a congressmen or representatives, a legislator in the lower chamber of state legislatures would be a member of the Legislature (abbreviated ML), member of the State Legislature (abbreviated
MSL), member of the General Assembly (abbreviated MGA), member of the General Court (abbreviated MGC) or member of the Legislative Assembly (abbreviated MLA) even though they are commonly referred to as representatives or assemblymen.
Further confusion over the proper title of legislators comes when newspapers, using the Associated Press guidelines for journalists
, refer to legislators as state representatives or state senators to avoid confusion with federal counterparts.
, the devolved
Assembly
of Wales
are usually known as AMs
or Aelod y Cynulliad (ACs).
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
or legislative assembly
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
of a sub-national jurisdiction.
Australia
Members of the Legislative Assembly use the suffix MP in New South WalesNew South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
and Queensland
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
.
In Western Australia
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
, Northern Territory
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
and Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory...
, members are known as MLAs. However the suffix MP is also commonly used. South Australia and Tasmania have a House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
and denote its members MHA.
In Victoria
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
members can use either MP or MLA.
In federal parliament, members of the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
are designated MP and not MHR.
Brazil
In Brazil, Members of all 26 Legislative Assemblies are called deputados estaduais (statewide deputies). The Federal DistrictBrazilian Federal District
The Federal District is set apart for Brasília, the capital of Brazil. Located in a region called Planalto Central, or Central Plateau, the Federal District is divided in 29 administrative regions. Brasilia - place where the three branches of the Federal Government are located - is the main...
Legislative Assembly is actually called Legislative Chamber , and is composed by deputados distritais (district deputies). Unlike the federal legislative body, which is bicameral, Brazilian states legislatures are unicameral. Members of the Lower House
Chamber of Deputies of Brazil
The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. As of 2006, the chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms...
are also called deputies, but they are deputados federais (federal deputies).
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, members of legislative assemblies are called MLAs in all provinces and territories except:
- OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where they have been called Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) since 1938 and before 1938 used both MPP and MLA, - QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, where they are called Members of the National AssemblyMember of the National Assembly (Quebec)A Member of the National Assembly is a member of the National Assembly of Quebec in Canada.In other jurisdictions within Canada, the titles used are:* "Member of Provincial Parliament" in Ontario,...
(MNAs) since 1968, and - Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, where they are called Members of the House of AssemblyMember of the House of AssemblyA Member of the House of Assembly is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in Canada.Other Provinces and TerritoriesMembers of other Canadian provincial and territorial assemblies employ the titles:...
(MHAs).
Members of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
, Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
, Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
, New Brunswick
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia House of Assembly
The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...
(despite being a House of Assembly), Prince Edward Island
Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....
and in the three territories (Yukon
Yukon Legislative Assembly
-History:From 1900 to 1978, the elected legislative body in the Yukon was the Yukon Territorial Council, a ten-member body which did not act as the primary government, but was a non-partisan advisory body to the Commissioner of the Yukon...
, NWT and Nunavut
Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, Canada, is located in Iqaluit, and is the territory's parliament.The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut was opened by Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, on 7 October 2002, during her Golden Jubilee tour of Canada...
) are known as MLAs.
Falkland Islands
Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands use the suffix MLA. In 2009 the Legislative Council of the Falkland IslandsLegislative Council of the Falkland Islands
The Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands is the unicameral legislature of the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The Legislative Assembly replaced the Legislative Council when the new Constitution of the Falklands came into force in 2009 and laid out the composition,...
(which had existed since the 1840s) was replaced with the new Legislative Assembly. As a result, Members of the Legislative Assembly are often still referred to as Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s.
India
A Member of Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the LegislatureLegislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of a State in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n system of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
.
Northern Ireland
Members of the Northern Ireland AssemblyNorthern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, the devolved
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
are known as MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly).
The Assembly was suspended on October 14, 2002 but the persons elected to it at the 2003 Assembly Election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2003
The second elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which at the time of the elections had been suspended for just over a year, were held on Wednesday 26 November 2003. Six members were elected by Single Transferable Vote from each of Northern Ireland's eighteen Westminster Parliamentary...
were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 for the purpose of electing a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive (before 25 November 2006) as a preliminary to the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. Another election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
was held on 7 March 2007 and powers were restored to the Assembly in May 2007.
United States of America
In the United States of America, legislator is the generic term referring to a member of the legislative body of any of the country's 50 statesU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
.
The formal name varies from state to state. In 24 states, the legislature is simply called the Legislature, or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature as the Legislative Assembly.
Just as a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
is officially a member of Congress (abbreviated MC) despite being referred as a congressmen or representatives, a legislator in the lower chamber of state legislatures would be a member of the Legislature (abbreviated ML), member of the State Legislature (abbreviated
MSL), member of the General Assembly (abbreviated MGA), member of the General Court (abbreviated MGC) or member of the Legislative Assembly (abbreviated MLA) even though they are commonly referred to as representatives or assemblymen.
Further confusion over the proper title of legislators comes when newspapers, using the Associated Press guidelines for journalists
AP Stylebook
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and in the news industry in the United States...
, refer to legislators as state representatives or state senators to avoid confusion with federal counterparts.
Wales
Members of the National Assembly for WalesNational Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
, the devolved
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
are usually known as AMs
Members of the National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members...
or Aelod y Cynulliad (ACs).