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

Committee Motion 91-19(2): Committee Report 12-19(2) – Standing Committee on Social Development - Report on the Review of Bill 20: An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act – Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to present Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act. I wish to thank the Standing Committee on Social Development for its thoughtful review and collaboration on this bill. Thanks to the valuable insight of the committee and its staff, in cooperation with departmental representatives, the bill as amended achieves a desired balance between increased public transparency and the operational requirements of the Employment Standards Office.

This bill seeks to amend the Employment Standards Act to include two provisions that will provide protection...

Committee Motion 92-19(2): Bill 20: An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act - Deletion in subclause 11(3) of proposed subparagraph 41(6)(a)(ii), Defeated
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Thank you. This was discussed, the idea of an application, while we were working with committee. Ultimately, we came to an agreement that did not include an application. One of the reasons that I provided, and I don't know how influential this was on committee, but once we start introducing applications for this, it will give companies the opportunity to see if they can perhaps game the system. It allows them to test the waters. "Maybe I'll put in an application to see if I can lay people off sooner." That's not at all what this is intended for, this clause, and this motion introduces that...

Question 672-19(2): Polytechnic Science Program
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Of course, the transformation will require new programming, but a transformation takes a long time. I wish Members could see into the guts of the college, essentially, and see what is happening right now because there is a lot going on. There are working groups. There are about 50 staff in the college who are putting in extra time and extra work to participate in this and ensure that the foundation and the structure of the college can support a polytechnic. We are not quite at the point I think where the Member would like us to be, but we will get there. Right now, it's ensuring that, when we...

Committee Motion 91-19(2): Committee Report 12-19(2) – Standing Committee on Social Development - Report on the Review of Bill 20: An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act – Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 70)

Thank you. The notice is essentially an application. If there was an application, it would be a duplication of the information contained in the notice, and so it would just be more paperwork. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Thank you. We have Mr. Michael Saturnino, assistant deputy minister, labour and income security, and Mr. Mike Reddy, director of legislation, Department of Justice. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Yes.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here today to present Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupational Certification Act. I want to thank the Standing Committee on Social Development for its interest in and review of the bill. The Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupational Certification Act gives the Minister authority to issue various types of certifications for apprenticeships, trades, and occupations in the NWT.

This bill seeks to amend the act to allow for the issuance of other prescribed certificates, to give the Department of Education, Culture and Employment the ability to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Thank you. The number one sick day is "spring ahead," so daylight savings. I'm not sure if I have the estimates of how much that costs the government on an annual basis, but we do see a significant cost to the GNWT. Thank you.

Bill 25-19(2): An Act to Amend the Education Act
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 29, 2021, I will move that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

I think that, for those of us who reside in the southern part of the territory, this is a more live debate than maybe some of or northern colleagues, where it's either always dark or it's always sunny. I take the Member's comments, and I take all the comments here seriously. I do appreciate the feedback that we are getting. That's why we have these debates. Thank you.