R.J. Simpson

Member Hay River North

Premier
Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs
Minister of Justice
Government House Leader

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

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

Member's Statement on Recognition of the Accomplishments of Four Hay River Women
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to recognize the accomplishments of four outstanding women from Hay River, and to thank them for going above and beyond to serve their community.

Carolyn Carroll is the principal of Harry Camsell Elementary and Princess Alexandra Middle School in Hay River. This week, she was recognized as one of Canada's outstanding principals along with 39 other principals from across the country by the Learning Partnership, a national organization dedicated to publicly funded education in Canada. She's been teaching in the NWT for 30 years, and the last 20...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

I'll now rise and report progress.

Question 509-18(2): Junior Kindergarten Implementation
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll be following up with the Minister to get some specific numbers for Hay River. Another issue is that in Hay River the buses are full; there's not room for another 30 kids. So is that factored into the funding for JK or is that something the school board is going to have to deal with either by cancelling busing or buying a school bus or some other means? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 509-18(2): Junior Kindergarten Implementation
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

The fact is, in the classroom or in the room that these children are in, there's going to be less supervision. Will the qualifications for a JK teacher be any different than our other elementary school teachers because we are dealing with an age with different challenges than any other age in the school system?

Question 506-18(2): Junior Kindergarten Implementation
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

The Hay River Playschool takes three- and four-year-olds. It's probably going to shut down after decades. That's an option. That's a real option that could happen. So I just want to make this as simple as possible: are kids coming out of JK going to be smarter than if they were in a playschool or a daycare program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 506-18(2): Junior Kindergarten Implementation
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

So is the level of education going to be higher in junior kindergarten than a child could expect in a daycare, in a playschool, something like that? That's really what I'm getting at.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Rocky Simpson, a Hay River resident, my former employer, my landlord, and my father. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018. I would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 47)

I'll now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Question 487-18(2): Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Industries
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 46)

He had me pretty nervous, there. If this deal isn't struck and this money isn't spent by the end of this fiscal year, can this community have a guarantee that this $1.4 million will be put back into the 2017-18 budget?