 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2013) |
Legislative Assembly of Ontario Assemblée législative de l'Ontario | |
|---|---|
| 43rd Parliament of Ontario | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | July 1, 1867 |
| Preceded by | Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada (pre-confederation) Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada (pre-union) |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 124 |
 | |
Political groups | His Majesty's Government
His Majesty's Loyal Opposition
Other parties
|
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | June 2, 2022 |
Next election | 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; French: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal assent by the lieutenant governor of Ontario to become law. Together, the Legislative Assembly and Lieutenant Governor make up the unicameral Legislature of Ontario.[1][2][3] The assembly meets at the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park in the provincial capital of Toronto.
Ontario uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government in which members are elected to the Legislative Assembly through general elections using a "first-past-the-post" system. The premier of Ontario (the province's head of government) holds office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the Legislative Assembly, typically sitting as an MPP themselves and lead the largest party or a coalition in the Legislative Assembly. The largest party not forming the government is known as the Official Opposition, its leader being recognized as leader of the Opposition.
The Ontario Legislature is sometimes referred to as the "Ontario Provincial Parliament". Members of the assembly refer to themselves as "Members of the Provincial Parliament" MPPs as opposed to "Members of the Legislative Assembly" (MLAs) as in many other provinces. Ontario is the only province to do so, in accordance with a resolution passed in the Assembly on April 7, 1938. However, the Legislative Assembly Act refers only to "members of the Assembly". The Legislative Assembly is the second largest Canadian provincial deliberative assembly by number of members after the National Assembly of Quebec.
The current assembly was elected on June 2, 2022, as part of the 43rd Parliament of Ontario.
Owing to the location of the Legislative Building on the grounds of Queen's Park, the metonym "Queen's Park" is often used to refer to both the provincial government and the Legislative Assembly.[4]
- ^ "British North America Act, 1867, para 69". Department of Justice Canada. November 3, 1999. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ "Origins of "MPP"". The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ^ Constitution Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria 1867, c. 3 (U.K.), s. 69 (Constitution Act, 1867 at Department of Justice Canada) .
- ^ "Legacy of a People's Park". Education Portal. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.