Député de Hay River Nord

Premier ministre
Ministre de l’Exécutif et des Affaires autochtones

R.J. Simpson a été élu à la 20e Assemblée, représentant la circonscription de Hay River Nord. Le 7 décembre 2023, M. Simpson a été élu premier ministre de la 20e Assemblée législative des Territoires du Nord-Ouest.

M. Simpson a été élu par acclamation à la 19e Assemblée législative et élu pour la première fois à la 18e Assemblée en 2015.

M. Simpson a été élu pour la première fois à la 18e Assemblée législative en 2015. M. Simpson a été président adjoint de la 18e Assemblée législative, vice-président du Comité permanent des opérations gouvernementales et président du Comité spécial sur les questions de transition. M. Simpson a également siégé au Comité permanent des priorités et de la planification, de même qu’au Comité permanent du développement économique et de l’environnement.

M. Simpson a habité à Hay River toute sa vie. Après avoir obtenu son diplôme d’études secondaires à l’école secondaire Diamond Jenness en 1998, il a décroché un baccalauréat ès arts à l’Université MacEwan et un diplôme en droit à la faculté de droit de l’Université de l’Alberta.

M. Simpson a précédemment travaillé pour le gouvernement du Canada, la Northern Transportation Company limitée, la section locale no 51 des Métis, et Maskwa Engineering.

Pendant ses études en droit, M. Simpson a été président de l’association des étudiants en droit autochtones. Il a également siégé au conseil d’administration du Centre d’amitié Soaring Eagle, à Hay River, et donne de son temps au projet d’éducation Canada-Ghana.

Committees

R.J. Simpson
Hay River Nord
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Bureau de circonscription

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

Ministre
Premier ministre des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, Ministère de l’Exécutif et des Affaires autochtones, Ministre de la Justice

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Plain Language Summary for Bill 25: An Act to Amend the Education Act." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 73)

I don't have that particular information on hand, but I would be happy to get that back to the Member. It's an important point. If we are asking people to speak up, we want to make sure that they know that they are going to be supported.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the second time. This bill amends the Education Act to allow Members of a district education authority to have terms of office of two, three, or four years corresponding to the term of the members of the governing body of the community that the district education authority represents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

The Member raises great points. This legal resource centre was initially supposed to be more open to the public on the first floor of the courthouse, but things came up during renovations. It moved up to the fourth floor. He is correct that it is separate from a lot of our other resources. I think that is the type of work that we need to be doing, looking at how we can have more of a storefront, how we can make these services more accessible. As we move forward, I am having those conversations with the department. There is nothing in the works right now, given that we don't have the new...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

No. I want to thank the Member for bringing this up because, really, what the issue is, as I see it, is access to justice. A law librarian in Yellowknife is a way to increase that access to justice. Primarily, though, it is a tool for lawyers. I think that we share the same ideal of increasing access to justice, and there are other ways to do it. If we were to put resources into something, I don't think that a law librarian in the downtown Yellowknife courthouse is necessarily the best way to do it and the best way to reach the most citizens of the territory.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 497-19(2), Corrections Workplace Assessment"; and "Operating Plans for the Northwest Territories Education Bodies for the 2020-2021 School Year Ending June 30, 2021." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

We just went through a lengthy budget process, and as the Member is aware, there are no additional resources in that budget for the Legal Aid outreach clinic. That being said, I think that it is a very valuable area, and it is one area that I am pushing for and trying to figure out how we can expand it. I think that it is one of those areas that we could have even located outside of Yellowknife. We could have a position somewhere else and expand the access to residents across the territory. There are opportunities for outreach lawyers to create educational materials for residents to give them...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I love it when I can say "yes," so I wish the Member would have asked me a different question.

---Laughter

In this case, Mr. Speaker, having access to the library through a FOB allows there to be 24-7 access for lawyers in the territory, which is valuable for small law firms and independent lawyers who have the ability to go to the courthouse any time of the day, after hours, and get into the legal resource centre. During the day, members of the public can access that resource, as well. They just have to talk to staff, and they will let them in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, be read for the third time, and Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 71)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 597-19(2): A New Day Program." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.