Founded 1773 (1773) | ||
 | ||
Type Bicameral (1773–1893)
Unicameral (1893–present) Houses Legislative Council (1773–1893)
House of Assembly (1773–1893)
Legislative Assembly
(1893–present) | ||
The General Assembly of Prince Edward Island is the legislature of the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Today, the legislature is made of two elements: the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, and the unicameral assembly called the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. The legislature was first established in 1773.
Like the Canadian federal government, Prince Edward Island uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which members are sent to the Legislative Assembly after general elections and from there the party with the most seats chooses a Premier of Prince Edward Island and Executive Council of Prince Edward Island. The premier acts as Prince Edward Island's head of government, while the Queen of Canada acts as its head of state.
The legislature was originally bicameral, with an upper house called the Legislative Council of Prince Edward Island and a lower house called the House of Assembly of Prince Edward Island. The Legislative Council also held executive power until 1839. In 1893 the houses were amalgamated into the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. Unlike other provinces that eliminated their upper house, the assembly continued to have a distinction between members elected as Councillors and members elected as Assemblymen. This distinction was eliminated in 1996, giving all members the title Member of the Legislative Assembly.