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 159)

Thank you. At this point there is no such plans that I'm aware of. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That wouldn't change the technical status or the report the technical status evaluation report of the school. But, I mean, it's a political question and so the Member's also a politician, she probably can answer that as well as I can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you. So those intermediates, those agents would the example I used earlier, the GNWT flows money to an Indigenous government, the Indigenous government then uses that money to send their members to treatment. So it's not the GNWT directly sending somebody to treatment, it is another body, and that is what that is intended to cover. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to the information I've received from the Department of Infrastructure, technical status evaluations are conducted when there are some certainty that major work is expected in the next three to five years. So if it looks like there's going to be some serious work that's required in three to five years, that is the point at which a technical status evaluation would be conducted. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you. So the question is whether the GNWT can and should start tracking these costs? Perhaps for a discussion of part of the reason for things like this class action are that we don't have to prove damages for every individual, don't have to prove that an individual became addicted to opioids due to, you know, the actions of a company and then prove the number. So what we are doing is looking at damages on an aggregate basis. Perhaps I can hand it to Ms. Zimmer to maybe explain things a bit more concisely. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I can't bring the commanding officer anywhere; I don't have that authority over the commanding officer. The RCMP are independent from the Government of the Northwest Territories. They are contracted. However, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight can reach out and contact the officer. And, frankly, given the interest from the Regular Members I would expect that they would be doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

So this is for instances where perhaps for example, I believe, that money is flowed from the GNWT to the Tlicho government so that they can then pay for their members to go to Poundmaker's. So that's an instance where the GNWT has incurred costs. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know this has come up a few times in the House and, you know, the last time it came up it was a heavy subject and I, you know, expressed my concern and my thoughts with the family, and I'll do the same today. Clearly this is an issue that's touched people across the territory.

So when there is a missing person, the RCMP do look into it. If there is evidence of a crime, then there's a criminal investigation that occurs. If someone is missing and there is no evidence of a crime, it's still an open case, so. I have been in contact with the commanding officer about...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you. So the legislation covers costs that would be incurred by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Those could include costs that were contributed to Indigenous governments, flowing through Indigenous governments. But if Indigenous governments incurred costs on their own and tried to bill back the Government of the Northwest Territories, those types of costs are not included. I can hand it to Ms. Zimmer for a response. I knew her first name; her last name escaped me for a moment. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Mr. Speaker, in 2021 the Government of the Northwest Territories released the Northwest Territories Arts Strategy, a 10year plan to improve NWT's arts programs and services and strengthen the territory's arts sector. The first key action identified in the strategy was to complete a review of the GNWT's arts programs so that we could have a better understanding of the changes required to help us achieve our goals for the sector.

The results of this review were released in November as part of the Arts Program Review Report, reflecting the thoughts and concerns of NWT artists, craftspeople, and...