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

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

Question 1620-19(2): Exemption of Federal Income Sources from Income Assistance benefits
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 167)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As far as I know, we don't claw back disability payments. We don't do debt collection for the federal government. So I look forward to the Member providing some more concrete information that I can look into. Thank you.

Question 1620-19(2): Exemption of Federal Income Sources from Income Assistance benefits
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 167)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to need a bit more detail on the Member's comments. I know he had a statement. He was throwing around some acronyms, throwing around a bunch of numbers. So I can say that the CERB program, that was exempted from the calculations for income assistance. So there were people who claimed that who are on income assistance, and I understand that the federal government has been clawing some of those payments back or requiring repayment of some of those payments if the individuals weren't eligible. The CRB program, which came after the CERB program, was not exempted...

Bill 65: Builders’ Lien Act, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 167)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Yellowknife South that Bill 65, Builders' Lien Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Committee Motion 517-19(2): Committee Report 52-19(2): Report on the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly - Removal of Member from Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 167)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So we just approved a rule saying every Member shall sit on Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight. Now this speaks to Members being removed from the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight, which would mean the removal of the Member would then put them in violation of the previous rule? I'm just a little confused about this. And, again, there's no one to ask these questions to I'm not quite sure what to do with this. But I guess that's a situation that will arise or we'll deal with it when it happens. Thanks.

Committee Motion 503-19(2): Bill 65: Builders’ Lien Act – New Clause 3.1, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 166)

Private lands can be seized and sold. Thank you.

Committee Motion 503-19(2): Bill 65: Builders’ Lien Act – New Clause 3.1, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 166)

Thank you. Municipal governments don't have the same powers of taxation. They don't have the same revenue as the GNWT. And there's chances that they could be in a situation where they can't pay workers. And we also have to look at the bill as a whole and what is the point of the bill if, you know, we add more and more and more exclusions, then are we really fulfilling the spirit of this legislation. Thank you.

Committee Motion 503-19(2): Bill 65: Builders’ Lien Act – New Clause 3.1, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 166)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So this bill, the GNWT is exempt from provisions of this bill that other levels of government are not exempt from. And that's actually the current situation in the Northwest Territories right now under the current Mechanics' Lien Act. So this is a continuation of the status quo in terms of the application of the bill to governments. Thank you.

Committee Motion 502-19(2): Bill 85: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Implementation Act – amend subclause 12(2.1), Defeated
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 166)

Thank you. To my right is Matthew Yap, director of legal registries with the Department of Justice. To my left, Brian Asmundson, registrar of land titles. And behind me is Mr. Ian Rennie, legislative counsel with the Department of Justice.

Committee Motion 502-19(2): Bill 85: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Implementation Act – amend subclause 12(2.1), Defeated
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 166)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm pleased to be here to present Bill 65, Builders' Lien Act.

The purpose of Bill 65 is to repeal the current Mechanics' Lien Act and replace it with a more modern Builders' Lien Act to address modern construction practices.

Lien legislation is in place to ensure that parties who contribute work, labour, or materials to a construction project in the NWT are paid, and to provide a remedy if they are not. Lien legislation also creates stability and predictability for owners of construction projects by setting out their obligations to other parties involved in a...

Committee Motion 508-19(2): Bill 65: Builders’ Lien Act – New Clause 90.1, Defeated
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 166)

I don't have a problem generally with you know, with I wouldn't generally have a problem with something like this. You know, like the Member from Yellowknife North, I'm not a fan of the recurring statutory reviews. As a Regular Member, I've been part of those. I found that, if anything, they hinder progress on amending acts. But, you know, we just discussed the UNDRIP Act and, you know, we're moving in a different direction in the coming Assemblies. And in this even in this government, we have introduced protocols and processes that limit the amount of legislation that we can do. And going...