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

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

Thank you, committee. We will defer the bill until after the consideration of clauses. Committee, please turn to page 3 of the bill. I will take a short break. Thank you, committee.

---SHORT RECESS

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. O'Reilly.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

Thank you, Minister. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 17. Any general comments? Mr. Testart.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

I will now call the Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. I will ask the Minister responsible for the bill to introduce it. Minister McLeod.

Question 763-18(2): A New Day Men's Healing Program
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Just a question, not a statement, Mr. Speaker.

---Laughter

I'm not going to take advantage of the situation. I'll just ask questions. Mr. Speaker, I wasn't going to bring this topic up until next week. I ended the last sitting of this House with two statements and three sets of questions on A New Day, but I was pretty perturbed to hear the Minister today say he had no idea why no organization has bid on A New Day. Perhaps he should look at the May 10th letter that he was sent by the Coalition on Family Violence that explained why. It was signed by the NWT Disabilities Council, Status of Women...

Question 755-18(2): Marine Transportation Services
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

That is good to hear. I will move on to another topic related to the division. There are companies that are chomping at the bit to come up here and clean up Old Town, take the scrap metal, take the barges that have been sitting there for seven years. These are metal recycling companies. When are we going to get Old Town cleaned up? When can this process start because people are ready to go right now?

Question 755-18(2): Marine Transportation Services
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about some of the issues surrounding the GNWT's Marine Transportation Services division, and I have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. I am not going to ask the Minister about the $1.3 million in outstanding property taxes because I have already asked him about that in this House. I have asked the Minister of MACA, I have asked the Minister of Finance, and I have got a resounding "tough luck" from all of them. We will start off with some easy questions, and this is just for the information of residents who have been asking. How...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to welcome the grade 6 class and the chaperones from Princess Alexandra School. We have with us today, Ashlyn Angiers, Addison Ehkohina-Anavilok, Joseph Mouse-Arcand, Byrin Buckley, Destiny Villeneuve-Brown, Hailey Ekotla, Alyssa Flamand, Grayson Groenewegen, Kandace Groenewegen, Kellan Mandeville, Annika Pellisey, Kynidi Robillard, Jayda Robillard, Batiste Sabourin, Michelle Sabourin, Madyson Schwartz, Simara Tambour-Wilson, my cousin Dallas Gray-Casaway, and we also have with us my constituency assistant and birthday girl, Myrtle Graham. Thank you.

Question 763-18(2): A New Day Men's Healing Program
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Mr. Speaker, I should have taken you up on the opportunity for a Member's statement because, if the Minister would have read the Member's statement I made last time, it explained that the program isn't based on the report. What NGOs is the department in talks with to bring this program to fruition?