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The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the parliament for the ACT and is located at 196 London Circuit in Civic.

The Assembly makes laws for the ACT (which includes Canberra). It is different to the federal Parliament which makes laws for all of Australia.

The Assembly is made up of 25 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who are elected from 5 different electorates.

Elections happen every 4 years and are organised by an independent group called Elections ACT. There are strict rules to ensure voting is free and fair.

After an election, the Assembly elects one MLA to be the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister appoints other MLAs to be ministers in the ACT Government.

What does it do?

Members are elected to represent voters. All 25 members face election every 4 years, so voters have the ultimate power. On behalf of voters, members consider and pass laws that make the ACT a better place.

The Assembly keeps the ACT Government accountable by scrutinising its work. This includes asking ministers on-the-spot questions every sitting day, conducting inquiries, and reviewing the government’s annual budget (proposed spending).

Committees are small groups of MLAs who look into issues in detail. Every bill (draft law) that goes to the Assembly is scrutinised to check that it complies with the Human Rights Act and is well written. Committees can also investigate current issues and often seek public comment.

How can you get involved?

Make sure you are registered to vote. You must be an Australian citizen to do this. Voting is compulsory for citizens.

There are lots of other ways to participate in democracy in the ACT. You don’t need to be a citizen to get involved!

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