Canada has three levels of elected officials, and each one handles different problems. Picking the wrong one wastes weeks. Here's how to tell which level you need, and the official tool to find them.
Which Level of Government Handles What
| Level | Handles |
|---|---|
| Federal (MP) | Immigration & passports, Employment Insurance, CPP/OAS, federal taxes (CRA), Canada Post, federal prisons, national defence |
| Provincial (MPP/MLA/MNA) | Healthcare, K-12 & post-secondary education, landlord-tenant law, provincial courts, driver's licences, welfare/disability programs, provincial policing |
| Municipal (Councillor/Mayor) | Property taxes, garbage & recycling, zoning & building permits, local roads, transit, bylaws, municipal parks |
How to Find Each One
Your MP (federal)
Use the official House of Commons directory — search by postal code or riding.
Find your MP at ourcommons.ca →Your MPP / MLA / MNA (provincial)
Each province runs its own legislature website with a "find your member" search — for example Ontario's Legislative Assembly (ola.org) or BC's Legislative Assembly (leg.bc.ca). Search "[your province] legislative assembly find my MLA" if you're unsure of the exact site.
Your city councillor (municipal)
Search your city or town's official website for its council or ward directory — most let you search by address. ComplaintCA's tool pulls this automatically using the Represent API, a public, nonpartisan database of Canadian elected officials at all three levels.
Where ComplaintCA Fits
The Find My Representative tool in the app looks up all three levels at once from your address, so you don't have to guess which legislature or council website to search — and Asya can tell you which one is actually responsible for your issue first.
Not sure if your issue is federal, provincial, or municipal? Ask Asya first.
Start with Asya Now →Frequently Asked
How do I find out who my MP is?
Use ourcommons.ca/members/en, or ComplaintCA's Find My Representative tool, and enter your address or postal code.
What's the difference between an MP, MPP, MLA, and MNA?
MP is federal. MPP (Ontario), MLA (most provinces), and MNA (Quebec) are all the same thing — your provincial representative.
Should I contact my MP or my city councillor?
Depends on the issue: MPs handle federal programs like immigration and EI; councillors handle property tax, zoning, and local bylaws.
Can my MP or MPP actually solve my problem?
They can't override a department's decision, but their office can escalate a stuck file or request a status update — often faster than a general call centre.
How do I find my city councillor?
Search your municipality's website for its council/ward directory, or use ComplaintCA's Find My Representative tool.
What is ComplaintCA?
A Canadian civic platform that routes you to the correct authority, drafts complaints with AI in 7 languages, and includes a Find My Representative tool for all three levels of government.
Sources & Verification
This guide is maintained by ComplaintCA and checked against the official sources linked throughout, including:
Learn more about how ComplaintCA verifies information on our About page.