A video introduction to the ACT Legislative Assembly (65 sec) [Source: Office of the Legislative Assembly]
The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory is the parliament of the nation's capital.
Established after self-government in 1989, it is a unicameral (one-house) parliament made up of 25 members known as MLAs. MLAs are elected to represent one of five electorates for fixed four-year terms.
The Assembly performs both territory and local level functions and makes decisions that impact the lives of people who live and work in the ACT.
You can learn about the Assembly's history in our factsheets on establishing the nation's capital and the road to self-government.
In this section, you'll find information about the Office of the Legislative Assembly and the Officers of the Assembly.
The Office of the Legislative Assembly
The Office of the Legislative Assembly is the parliament’s support agency. It is a non-political organisation that provides procedural and administrative advice and support to the Assembly and its committees.
It is led by the Clerk of the Assembly and is governed by the Legislative Assembly (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Act 2012 
. Unlike other ACT public sector agencies, ministers cannot direct the Clerk, the Office, nor its staff.
The Office has three branches:
- The Office of the Clerk is responsible for governance, procedural matters, parliamentary education, and public engagement on the Assembly’s behalf.
- Parliament Support is responsible for supporting the operation of the Assembly chamber and committees, Hansard, and the Assembly Library.
- Business Support is responsible for broadcasting proceedings, security, and providing finance, human resources, and IT services to the Office and non-executive members.
Click on these links to find out about working for the Office or about doing an ACT Public Sector graduate program placement with us.
Officers of the Assembly
An Officer of the Assembly is a special role created by law to keep government accountable. They are appointed by the and report to the Speaker, making them fully independent of the ACT Government.
Auditor-General
The Auditor-General is parliament's independent officer for financial accountability. They conduct financial and performance audits of public sector and government-funded agencies to hold them accountable and encourage continuous improvement of services and activities. The Auditor-General is supported by the ACT Audit Office and governed by the Auditor-General Act 1996 .
Electoral Commissioner and Commission
The Electoral Commission and Commissioner are the parliament’s independent elections authorities. They are responsible for the conduct of Assembly elections and referendums, deciding the boundaries of Assembly electorates, and providing elections advice and services. The Commission is made up of the Commissioner and two other members. They are supported by Elections ACT and governed by the Electoral Act 1992 .
Integrity Commissioner
The Integrity Commissioner is parliament’s independent officer for corruption. They investigate allegations of corruption in the Assembly and ACT public sector and refer suspected crimes or wrongdoing to the relevant authorities. They are supported by the ACT Integrity Commission and governed by the Integrity Commission Act 2018 .
Ombudsman
The Ombudsman is parliament’s independent arbiter of complaints about the public sector, including ACT Policing. They assess complaints to see if a public sector agency has been unfair, discriminatory, or unjust in how they interact with the public. They also monitor allegations of child abuse and help people access government information. They are the ACT Ombudsman office and governed by the Ombudsman Act 1989 .
The Ombudsman is also the Inspector of the Integrity Commission. More information about this role is available here.