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

R.J. Simpson
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 172-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act – Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you, committee. We have concluded all the work we have agreed to. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Testart.

Question 808-18(3): Relationship between NWT Fishers and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment / Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishing
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

No problem, I guess. Everything's peachy. Traditionally, when the GNWT would put forward a name of someone to sit on the board of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, they would consult with the Fishermen's Federation. Earlier this year, the fisher who sat on that board received a letter saying that he had been removed. The federation had not been consulted, so it came as a surprise. They later learned that a bureaucrat would be filling that seat. The move directly contradicts the very first recommendation of the report of the Ministerial Advisory Panel on the Transformation of the...

Committee Motion 168-18(3): Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act – Clause 6, Defeated
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you. To the motion.

Committee Motion 169-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act – Eligibility for Post-Secondary Institution Status, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

Mr. Thompson.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you. Seeing nothing further, we can move into the clause-by-clause review of the bill. We will consider the bill number and title after consideration of the clauses. I will call out each clause individually. Please reply accordingly, based on whether you agree or not. I will give committee a moment to open up their binders. It looks like everyone is ready to begin.

---Clauses 1 through 4 approved

Committee Motion 168-18(3): Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act – Clause 6, Defeated
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you. Dr. McEachern.

Committee Motion 172-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act – Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you, committee. To the bill as a whole, does committee agree that Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act is now ready for third reading?

Committee Motion 168-18(3): Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act – Clause 6, Defeated
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you. To the motion. Would the mover of the motion like to close the debate on the motion? Mr. O'Reilly.

Committee Motion 168-18(3): Bill 37: An Act to Amend the Oil and Gas Operations Act – Clause 6, Defeated
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you. Further general comments on the report? Mr. Thompson.

Member's Statement on Revitalization of Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 83)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The GNWT is implementing its strategy to revitalize the Great Slave Lake commercial fishery. I am very supportive of its goals, mainly to develop a commercial fishery into a sustainable industry and to increase returns to fishers. However, I am very troubled by the approach that the Department of ITI has taken in its dealings with the fishermen, which, from what I hear, sounds like a paternalistic way of doing business that should have been dead and buried decades ago.

A key component of this strategy is the construction of a new fish processing plant in Hay River. From...