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

Bill 68: An Act to Amend the Child Day Care Act, Carried As Amended
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we just considered this bill yesterday in Committee of the Whole. Some people may recall that there were motions moved at that point. It was a dead heat, and there was no changes to the bill as we had a couple of ties.

Since that time, I've spoken to the department, I've spoken to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development, and I considered how could we incorporate some of those changes that the Members would like to see, some of the concerns that the Members have been expressing, into the bill so we can find a clause that we can all agree...

Bill 82: Legal Profession Act, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 82, Legal Profession Act, be read for the second time.

This bill repeals and replaces the Legal Profession Act. The current Act is largely based on the 1976 Ordinance. It has been amended over time but there are parts of it that are antiquated and that have been overtaken by more modern legislation. In addition, the current Act does not reflect contemporary developments in the selfregulation of the legal profession across Canada.

The Law Society established a review committee to examine these developments...

Bill 80: Dental Hygienists Profession Statute Amendment Act, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government has not had time to do an analysis of this bill. What the bill proposes would take government resources and we cannot endorse something without doing our due diligence. That said, we do want to Cabinet has taken the position that in the spirit of consensus government, we don't stand in the way of bills as they make their way through second reading. So Cabinet will be abstaining. Thank you.

Tabled Document 919-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 1402-19(2): Cooperation Between Income Support and Child and Family Services
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 81, An Act to Amend the Education Act, No. 2; Plain Language Summary for Bill 82, Legal Profession Act; Followup Letter for Oral Question 140219(2), Cooperation Between Income Support and Child and Family Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 1501-19(2): Request a New School for Behchoko
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 153)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been a plan in place for quite some time now to approach the federal government, ask them for money to billion a new school in Behchoko. As the Member is aware, it was the federal government who built this school outside of the community many years ago because it was cheaper. But obviously that is not in the spirit of reconciliation. So we have committed to working with the Tlicho government on approaching the federal government hoping that they will be supportive and that they will rectify, really, the mistake that they made 50 some years ago. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to present Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child Day Care Act.

The Child Day Care Act defines how children should be cared for in facilities outside of their homes in the NWT. The Act and its corresponding regulations set minimum standards for the quality, care, instruction, and supervision of children.

In December 2021, the GNWT signed the CanadaNWT Canadawide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, in which the federal government pledged to provide additional funding to reduce barriers and transform the early learning and child care system in the NWT. The...

Bill 82: Legal Profession Act
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 82, Legal Profession Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tabled Document 909-19(2): Plain Language Summary for Bill 79: An Act to Amend the Judicature Act
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Plain Language Summary for Bill 79, An Act to Amend the Judicature Act.

Question 1484-19(2): Income Assistance
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we did learn lessons from COVID. That's why this budget includes the biggest overhaul to the income assistance program in a generation with millions of dollars more budgeted that will go directly to clients. The situation the Member's talking about, though, in the future we're still going to see those situations because at the end of the day, the program requires people to declare their income. And if they don't declare their income, there's consequences. However, we are looking at even that aspect. There needs to be some rules but we're definitely taking a more...

Question 1484-19(2): Income Assistance
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 152)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So as I said, we did exempt CERB, but we did not exempt the subsequent support programs, but we did inform all applicants that if they received those programs, they needed to declare it. So at this point, I can't go back and exempt some individuals and not others because others did declare it, and they didn't receive this benefit. And so it wouldn't be fair in that sense. Thank you.