Capitalise the titles of the current prime minister and treasurer

Capitalise the titles of the current holders of the positions of:

• Prime Minister
• Treasurer.

Do this even when the titles are abbreviated.

If referencing prime ministers or treasurers generically, use lower case.

Use lower case letters for former prime ministers and treasurers of Australia.

Capitalise titles for current senators and members of the Australian Parliament

The Parliament of Australia website has instructions for how to address senators and members.

Write these titles as follows:

• the Prime Minister
• the President of the Senate
• the Speaker of the House of Representatives
• ministers (Senate)
• ministers (House of Representatives)
• assistant ministers (Senate)
• assistant ministers (House of Representatives)
• senators
• members (House of Representatives).

People elected to the upper house take the title ‘Senator’ before their given name.

Members of the House of Representatives take the initialism ‘MP’ after their name. Write it after any other post-nominals. Don’t use commas before or between post-nominals.

Address certain office holders of the Australian Parliament as ‘Honourable’

Use the title ‘Honourable’ for ministers (including the prime minister) and parliamentary secretaries in the Australian Parliament. The title is given to these office holders because they are members of the Federal Executive Council. They retain the title for life.

The abbreviation for ‘Honourable’ is ‘Hon’ without a full stop.

Use the title ‘Senator’ before ‘the Honourable’ if the minister or parliamentary secretary is a member of the Senate.

The presiding officers and former office holders of state parliaments

The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives (the presiding officers) use the title ‘Honourable’.

‘Honourable’ is also given to members of the Australian Parliament who are:

• former members of state ministries
• former presiding officers of state parliaments.

In formal emails and letters to a minister:

• Open with ‘Dear Minister’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘My dear Minister’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Use the appropriate form for members of state and territory parliaments

In formal emails and letters, address members of state and territory parliaments with the relevant post-nominal after their name.

Number of chambers in state and territory parliament

The parliaments of all states except Qld are ‘bicameral’. This means parliament has 2 chambers or houses:

• the Legislative Council – also called the ‘upper house’
• the Legislative Assembly (NSW, Vic and WA) or House of Assembly (SA and Tas) – also called the ‘lower house’.

The parliaments of Qld, the ACT and the NT are ‘unicameral’. This means parliament has one chamber or house – the Legislative Assembly.

Use the correct post-nominal

Members of state and territory parliaments use the post-nominal:

• MLC (Member of the Legislative Council)
• MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly)
• MP (Member of the Legislative Assembly or Member of the House of Assembly).

All bicameral parliaments use the post-nominal 'MLC' for members of their upper houses.

The choice of 'MLA' or 'MP' for members of state and territory parliaments is less clear-cut.

Follow these rules to use the correct post-nominal.

Use MLC for members of the Legislative Council of:

• NSW
• SA
• Tas
• Vic
• WA.

Use MLA for members of the Legislative Assembly of:

• ACT
• NT
• WA.

Use MP for members of the Legislative Assembly of:

• NSW
• Qld
• Vic.

Use MP for members of the House of Assembly of:

• SA
• Tas.

A parliamentarian may have other post-nominals after their name. These can include:

• civilian and military honours
• educational and professional qualifications.

If so, write these in the same way the parliamentarian does. If you’re unsure, check with the parliamentarian’s office.

Emails and letters to members of a state or territory parliament

In formal correspondence with a member of a state or territory parliament:

• Open with ‘Dear Ms’ (or ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, ‘Mx’, ‘Dr’ and so on).
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘Dear Mr’ (or ‘Ms’, ‘Mrs’, ‘Mx’, ‘Dr’ and so on).
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Address certain office holders in state and NT parliaments as ‘Honourable’

Use ‘Honourable’ when addressing all members of the executive councils of the states and the NT:

• premiers and ministers in all states
• chief minister and ministers in the NT
• former ministers in all states and the NT.

Use ‘Honourable’ when addressing these parliamentarians:

• members of all state legislative councils except in Vic
• Leader of the Opposition in Tas
• presidents of all legislative councils
• speakers of all parliaments except in the ACT.

Office holders in the ACT Legislative Assembly don’t use the title ‘Honourable’. Ministers in the ACT have more than one portfolio. Address emails and letters to them using the ministerial title appropriate to the topic.

Address state premiers correctly

Address state premiers as ‘The Hon [given and family names] MLA/MP, Premier of …’

Check the premier’s website to see whether they include other post-nominals in their title, such as academic or professional qualifications.

In formal emails and letters with a premier:

• Open with ‘Dear Premier’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘My dear Premier’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Address the chief minister of the NT correctly

Address the chief minister of the NT with details in this order:

1. ‘The Hon’
2. their given and family names
3. ‘MLA, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory’.

In formal emails and letters with the chief minister:

• Open with ‘Dear Chief Minister’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘Dear Chief Minister’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Address the chief minister of the ACT with their preferred title

Address the chief minister of the ACT with details in this order:

1. the appropriate title (‘Dr’, ‘Mr’, ‘Ms’, ‘Mx’ and so on)
2. their given and family names
3. ‘MLA, Chief Minister of the ACT’.

In formal emails and letters with the chief minister:

• Open with ‘Dear Chief Minister’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘Dear Chief Minister’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Address mayors and members of local governments with the correct title

Address members of local governments in urban and regional areas differently.

Check the current title of a mayor or local government member to ensure accuracy. Check with the mayor’s or member’s office if you’re unsure.

Mayors of state capital cities

Use the title ‘The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of [the name of the city]’ for lord mayors of:

• Adelaide
• Brisbane
• Hobart
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Sydney.

In emails and letters, you can use either the full form ‘Right Honourable’ or its shortened form ‘Rt Hon’ (without full stops).

Add ‘Councillor’ before the names of the lord mayors of Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney.

Put a comma after the name of the city.

Use the honorific ‘Ms’, ‘Mr’, ‘Mx’, ‘Mrs’ or ‘Dr’ with the names of the lord mayors of Adelaide and Perth.

Address the lord mayor of Darwin as ‘The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Darwin’.

In emails and letters to a lord mayor:

• Open with ‘Dear Lord Mayor’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

Mayors outside capital cities

Address the mayors of Geelong, Newcastle and Wollongong as ‘The Right Worshipful the [Lord] Mayor of [name of the city]’.

Address mayors of other cities as ‘His’ or ‘Her Worship the Mayor of [name of city]’.

In correspondence:

• Open with ‘Dear Mayor’ (or ‘Dear Lord Mayor’ if applicable).
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

Shire presidents, aldermen and councillors

Address a shire president as ‘President [family name]’. The abbreviation for ‘President’ is ‘Pres’ without a full stop, but use the full title ‘President’ because it’s clearer.

Address an alderman (regardless of gender) as ‘Alderman [family name]’. The abbreviation for ‘Alderman’ is ‘Ald’ without a full stop.

Address a councillor as ‘Councillor [family name]’. The abbreviation for ‘Councillor’ is ‘Cr’ without a full stop.

In formal emails and letters:

• Open with ‘Dear President’, ‘Dear Alderman’ or ‘Dear Councillor’ as appropriate.
• Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In less formal correspondence:

• Open with ‘Dear President’, ‘Dear Alderman’ or ‘Dear Councillor [family name]’.
• Conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’.