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

Committees

R.J. Simpson
Hay River North
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Rj_simpson@ntassembly.ca
Phone
867-767-9141 (link is a phone number)
Extension
11120
Constituency Office

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

Phone
867-874-6301(link is a phone number)
Minister
Email
Rj_simpson@gov.nt.ca
Premier of the Northwest Territories, Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Minister of Justice, Government House Leader

Statements in Debates

Bill 15: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2020
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 46)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Invuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 15, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2020, be read for the second time. This bill corrects inconsistencies and errors in the statutes of the Northwest Territories. The bill also deals with other matters of a minor non-controversial and uncomplicated nature in the statutes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister's Statement 83-19(2): Our Languages Curriculum
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 46)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is celebrating the official launch of the Our Languages curriculum. This launch marks an important milestone for Indigenous languages in the Northwest Territories.

Our Languages is a competency-based curriculum that provides Indigenous language instructors with curricular outcomes, instructional strategies, and assessment tools to foster language growth in classrooms. It promotes a whole-school approach to language learning to ensure that Indigenous languages are heard and spoken throughout schools, at assemblies...

Bill 15: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2020
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 46)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 73(2) to have Bill 15 moved directly into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 20: An Act to Amend the Employee Standards Act
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 46)

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, I will move that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Employee Standards Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 12: An Act to Amend the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Act.
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 45)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Act, be read for the second time. This bill amends the Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupational Certification Act to expand the types of certificates that the Minister may issue under the act. The amendment does this by allowing the Minister to issue certificates prescribed by regulation. The bill also removes the requirement for certificate application forms to be prescribed, instead allowing applications to be in the form directed...

Bill 19: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 45)

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Monday, November 2, 2020, I believe move that Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 17: An Act to Amend the Corrections Act
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 45)

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Monday, November 2, 2020, I will move that Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Corrections Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 431-19(2): Income Assistance
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 45)

The senior management of the GNWT really take their lead from the Executive Council of the GNWT, and I know that myself and my colleagues are all committed to ensuring that we have the best client service possible. We just heard the Minister of housing say the same thing. In that vein, the deputy ministers of the social envelope departments, Finance, ECE, housing, have all signed an MOU that states that they are going to work together to promote the principles of person-centred, community-driven delivery; that they are going to be responsible for this; and that they are going to have to answer...

Question 431-19(2): Income Assistance
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 45)

Confirmed.

Minister's Statement 82-19(2): Aurora College Transformation Implementation Plan and Areas of Specialization
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 45)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am excited to announce that today the Government of the Northwest Territories is releasing the Aurora College Transformation Implementation Plan and the initial areas of teaching and research specialization for the polytechnic university. These foundational documents, along with input from our residents and partners, will help guide the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university and beyond over the next six years. Later today, I will table the implementation plan, which identifies the critical milestones along the path towards the establishment of...