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

R.J. Simpson
Hay River North
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
867-767-9141
Extension
11120
Constituency Office

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

Phone
867-874-6301
Minister
Email
Email
Premier of the Northwest Territories, Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Minister of Justice, Government House Leader

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sorry if I garbled anyone's name earlier. They always give the MLA for Hay River South easy names, but I failed to mention my constituent, Ms. Myrtle Graham, is with us today, and I would like to wish her a happy birthday. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister's Statement 73-18(3): 2018 Arctic Winter Games Congratulations
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go to item 5 on the orders paper.

Bill 19: An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion on the floor to report progress. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Question 295-18(3): Quarrying Fees and Royalties
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

So did the Minister say that they brought the information to the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning in 2016, and they consulted with Indigenous governments, and the Chamber of Mines actually approached them regarding these fees? That's in contrast to the Department of Transportation, or now Infrastructure, which will put on Facebook and Twitter and the radio that there are changes to the fees to cross the Deh Cho bridge for commercial vehicles. So that's the type of communication that I'd like to see coming out of Lands to avoid these types of issues that I've been talking about. So...

Member’s Statement on Union of Northern Workers Negotiations
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've avoided making public comments about the ongoing negotiations between this government and the UNW, because I've been under the assumption that both sides are working in good faith towards an agreement. However, I've seen nothing in the past two and a half years to indicate that a deal will ever be reached. It's beginning to look like a strike is more likely than a timely resolution, so I can't keep quiet any longer.

Just look at the centerpiece of the last offer from this government: a 0.1 per cent wage increase over their previous offer. That's the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you can see, we have a full gallery today. It is the annual grade 6 class trip. The gallery is full of students from Princess Alexandra School, and we are happy to have them. We have a long list of names here. I don't want to miss anyone. Let's get started.

The students, we have Ashley Angulalik-Elder, Chayce Beck, Emerson Beck, Esha O'Brien, Kaiden Broedner, Jadeane Brown, Glacia Gordon, Teagan Hedderson, Kyzer Hehn, Angelia Nitsiza, Nora Lecouter, Teagan Lefebvre, Theron Mabbitt, Grace Schaub, Joshua Cayen, Sienna Daniels, Alijah Famorcan, Linkin Giesbrecht, Teddy...

Bill 19: An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 1-18(3) and Minister's Statement 19-18(3) and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Bill 19: An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 29)

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

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

Thank you. There is a motion to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Question 290-18(3): Hay River Fish Processing Facility
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of the reason that the government is pushing this fish plant is because nobody quite knows what is happening with Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation in the near future. Since the Minister has a direct channel to Ottawa, could the Minister please let us know what the GNWT knows about the future plans for freshwater? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.