A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a person elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. Still, in a few instances, it refers to a national legislature.
Members of the Legislative Assembly use the suffix MP instead of MLA in the states of New South Wales and Queensland.
Members of the Legislative Assemblies of Western Australia, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, and Norfolk Island are known as MLAs. However, the suffix MP is also commonly used.
South Australia has a House of Assembly, as does Tasmania, and both describe their members as MHAs.
In Victoria, members may use either MP or MLA.
In the federal parliament, members of the House of Representatives are designated MP and not MHR.
In Brazil, members of all 26 legislative assemblies (assembléias legislativas) are called deputados estaduais (state deputies). Unlike the federal legislative body which is bicameral, Brazilian state legislatures are unicameral.
The Federal District legislative assembly is called the Legislative Chamber (Câmara Legislativa) and is composed of deputados distritais (district deputies). Members of the Lower House are also called deputies, but they are deputados federais (federal deputies).
Legislative assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories
In Canada, members of the federal House of Commons of Canada are described as members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the Senate as senators, although both the House and Senate are part of the Parliament of Canada. Members of subnational legislative assemblies are members of the elected provincial and territorial legislatures and are called MLAs in all provinces and territories except:
Ontario, where they have been called members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) since 1938 (before then both MPP and MLA were used)
Quebec, where in English they are called members of the National Assembly (MNAs) since 1968
Newfoundland and Labrador, where they are called members of the House of Assembly (MHAs).