General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador

The General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador is the group of people who make laws for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. It started in 1832 and has two main parts: the lieutenant governor, who stands for the King of Canada, and a group called the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. This group has only one level of members, which is called a unicameral assembly.

Newfoundland and Labrador uses a system like the one in the rest of Canada, called a Westminster-style parliamentary government. People in the area vote in general elections to choose members to send to the House of Assembly. The leader of the party with the most seats is asked by the lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador to become the leader of the government, called the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. The premier leads the work of the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador and is the main leader for the people of the province, while the King of Canada is the head of state.

At first, the legislature had two levels. From 1832 until 1934, there was an upper level called the Legislative Council of Newfoundland. This upper level was stopped in 1934. Between 1934 and when Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949, the General Assembly was not meeting because the area was led by a Commission of Government.

List of General Assemblies

Pre-Confederation

Post-Confederation