R.J. Simpson

Member Hay River North

Premier
Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs

R.J. Simpson was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, representing the constituency of Hay River North. On December 7th, 2023, Mr. Simpson was elected Premier of the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Simpson was formerly acclaimed to the 19th Legislative Assembly and first elected into the 18th Assembly in 2015.

Mr. Simpson was Deputy Speaker of the 18th Assembly, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, and the Chair of the Special Committee on Transition Matters. Mr. Simpson was also a member of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning and the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment.

Mr. Simpson is a lifelong resident of Hay River After graduating from Diamond Jenness Secondary School in 1998 Mr. Simpson went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from MacEwan University and a law degree from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law.

Mr. Simpson has previously worked with the Government of Canada, Northern Transportation Company Ltd, Métis Nation Local 51, and Maskwa Engineering.

While at law school, Mr. Simpson was the President of the Aboriginal Law Students’ Association. He has also served on the board of the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre in Hay River and volunteered with the Canada-Ghana Education Project.

Hay River North Electoral District

Committees

Hay River North

Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box

1320

Email

Email

Phone

Extension

11120

Constituency Office

62, promenade Woodland, bureau 104
Hay River Nord NT X0E 1G1
Canada

Phone

Minister

Email

Email

Premier of the Northwest Territories, Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Minister of Justice, Government House Leader

Statements in Debates

Question 302-18(3): Funding Formula for Family Support Centre

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

I know that the funding formula is being drafted right now; they are still looking at it, but if you look at the way that the department is organized, I believe there is a family violence prevention position in there. There is funding through the Family Violence Prevention Program.

Shelters are tertiary care. They're not really prevention. With this new funding formula, will there be a focus on community outreach and education as well as just a place for people to go to flee violence? Will there actually be a focus on prevention as well?

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Seeing nothing further, we will proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill. We will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses.

Committee, please turn to page 1 of the bill. I will call out the clause number, and if committee agrees to the clause, please respond accordingly. Clause 1.

Member's Statement on Hay River Family Support Centre

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the kick-off of the Hay River Family Support Centre's fundraising campaign. The event was put on by a great group of volunteers, as well as centre staff who, I'm sure, were more than volunteering at the time. The event included a breakfast by donation, musical performances, face painting, as well as the official unveiling of the Family Support Centre's new branding and Facebook page. It was really quite impressive and a lot of fun.

The reason for the fundraising campaign is one that I've brought up numerous...

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Minister. We will open the floor to general comments. Do we have general comments? Mr. O'Reilly.

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, committee. We should dispense with this fairly quickly, so we will forego our usual recess and continue with the bill. Members will find a copy of the bill in the grey binders by your feet. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act. I will ask the Minister responsible for the bill to introduce it. Minister Sebert.

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Question 313-18(3): Dredging in Hay River Harbour

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Does the Minister have any numbers he can share with us about how much they expect this dredging to cost? Maybe we can swing it ourselves and don't have to wait on the feds.

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Question 313-18(3): Dredging in Hay River Harbour

Debates of May 28, 2018 , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure about dredging the port of Hay River. I believe it was back in 2016 he said that we might begin dredging in 2017, and it was in 2017 that dredging hadn't begun, but there had been military aircraft taking pictures. There was Coast Guard doing ultrasonic sounding. There were working groups. Now it is 2018, and we are getting close to the end of this Assembly. A constituent just asked me this today, so that is why I am asking: what has been done in regard to dredging the port of Hay River? What work has been...