General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador

General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador
47th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador
Type
Type
Bicameral (1832–1934)
Unicameral (1934–)
Houses Legislative Council (1832-1934)
House of Assembly (1934-)
History
Founded 1832
(Suspended 1934-1949 during Commission of Government)
Meeting place
Colonial Building (1850-1959)
Confederation Building (1959- )

The General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador (known as the General Assembly of Newfoundland until 6 December 2001) is the legislature of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Today, the legislature is made of two elements: the monarch of Canada, represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the unicameral assembly called the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. The legislature was first established in 1832.

Like the Canadian federal government, Newfoundland and Labrador uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which members are sent to the House of Assembly after general elections and from there the party with the most seats chooses a Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador. The premier acts as Newfoundland and Labrador's head of government, while the Queen of Canada acts as its head of state.

The legislature was originally bicameral. From 1832 to 1934, it had an upper house called the Legislative Council of Newfoundland. That house was abolished in 1934.

Between 1934 and Newfoundland's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1949, Newfoundland was under Commission of Government, and the General Assembly was suspended.

List of General Assemblies

Pre-Confederation

Assembly Period Election Dissolution
1st General Assembly of Newfoundland 1833–1838 1832
2nd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1838–1843 1836,[1] 1837
3rd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1843–1848 1842
4th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1848–1853 1848
5th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1853–1855 1852
6th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1855–1860 1855
7th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1860–1861 1859
8th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1861–1865 1861
9th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1865
10th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1869
11th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1873
12th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1874
13th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1878
14th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1882
15th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1885
16th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1889
17th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1893
18th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1897
19th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1900
20th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1904
21st General Assembly of Newfoundland 1908
22nd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1909
23rd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1913
24th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1919
25th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1923
26th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1924
27th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1928
28th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1932-1934[2] 1932

Post-Confederation

Assembly Period Election Dissolution
29th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1949–1951 1949
30th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1951–1956 1951
31st General Assembly of Newfoundland 1956–1959 1956
32nd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1959–1962 1959
33rd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1962–1966 1962
34th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1966–1971 1966
35th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1971–1972 1971
36th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1972–1975 1972
37th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1975–1979 1975
38th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1979–1982 1979
39th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1982–1985 1982
40th General Assembly of Newfoundland 1985–1989 1985
41st General Assembly of Newfoundland 1989–1993 1989
42nd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1993–1996 1993
43rd General Assembly of Newfoundland 1996–1999 1996
44th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador 1999–2003 1999
45th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador 2003–2007 2003
46th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador 2007–2011 2007
47th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador 2011–present 2011
  1. The results of the 1836 election were set aside by the chief justice of Newfoundland, after he discovered some of the writs had not been marked with the official seal.
  2. Democratic government suspended in 1934 with the creation of the Commission of Government. The Newfoundland House of Assembly remained suspended until 1949.

References