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

Question 752-18(2): Status of Hay River Health Authority
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

I can add "I don’t know" to the number of responses I have gotten to how much it is going to cost. I know every year that the department tops up this pension plan, and I was wondering if the Minister has the numbers about how much the department has already put into this pension plan over the past 10 or 12 years, however long it has been going on.

Question 752-18(2): Status of Hay River Health Authority
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister is making my case for me. Clearly something needs to be done. I mean the government is just throwing good money after bad here. What’s being done right now to make this happen? What’s in progress?

Question 752-18(2): Status of Hay River Health Authority
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, last year Health and Social Services authorities amalgamated into the NWT Health and Social Services Authority. The rationale for this move was to improve coordination, communication, and the use of resources, including staff, among the regions. The Hay River health authority was one of the two that were left out of the amalgamation because it was engaging negotiations, but the primary reason appears to me, anyway, to be the costs associated with bringing it on board, due to their underperforming pension plan.

This pension issue has been going on for over...

Committee Motion 98-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Com
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion, Mr. Testart.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. Committee, we have agreed to continue consideration of Committee Report 7-18(2), Report on the Review of Members' Conduct Guidelines. I believe the last thing we did was a motion regarding recommendation 4. I will go to Mr. O'Reilly.

Committee Motion 103-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Co
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion on the floor and an order. To the motion.

Committee Motion 97-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Com
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. To the motion.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

Committee Motion 102-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Co
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. To the motion.

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. I will open up the floor to general comments. Do we have general comments on the committee report? Seeing none, I will just let everyone know at home and in the Assembly that we are, as Mr. Testart said, going to have seven motions. The first would pertain to the recommendation on page 9. Mr. Testart.