legislature, legislative assembly, house of assembly, national assembly

On this page

• Legislature
• Legislative assembly
• House of assembly
• National assembly

Legislature

A legislature is a law-making body.

• Parliament is Canada’s national legislature.
• Provincial legislatures are responsible for provincial matters.
• Tommy Douglas was first elected to the Saskatchewan legislature in 1944.

Legislative assembly

The term legislative assembly is used to refer to most provincial and territorial legislatures in Canada.

• A legislative assembly is an elected body.
• The Nunavut Legislative Assembly is made up of 22 members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Note that legislative assembly is capitalized when it refers to a specific legislative body, as in the second example above.

House of assembly

The term house of assembly is used to refer to the provincial legislatures of Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

• A house of assembly approves legislation.
• The Nova Scotia House of Assembly is in Halifax.

Note that house of assembly is capitalized when it refers to a specific legislative body, as in the second example above.

National assembly

The term national assembly is used to refer to the provincial legislature of Quebec. The French title is Assemblée Nationale du Québec.

• The legislative body of France is called a national assembly.
• The National Assembly of Quebec is made up of 125 members of the National Assembly (MNAs).

Note that national assembly is capitalized when it refers to a specific legislative body, as in the second example above.