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

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 74)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 26, Statistics Act, and would like to report progress, and that Bill 26, Statistics Act is ready for third reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 74)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister, would you care to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 74)

Thank you, committee. Thank you to the witnesses and to the Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses from the Chamber. We have concluded the consideration of the item at hand. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 74)

I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Bill 26, Statistics Act. I will ask the Minister responsible for the bill to introduce it. Minister McLeod.

Question 717-18(3): Housing Plan for Hay River High-rise Fire Evacuees
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister said there were no housing clients in the high-rise. Income assistance was paying the rent for about a third of the residents of the high-rise, which means that those people, for the most part, were on the housing waitlist. It's not like Housing doesn't have clients in there. They have people waiting to get into housing, so this is an issue. What can I tell them is going to happen in the very near term? What is the plan to house them in the very near term? I know there are long-term solutions. I know all about the rental issues in Hay River. What is the...

Question 717-18(3): Housing Plan for Hay River High-rise Fire Evacuees
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 73)

I appreciate the update. That's basically the same update that I received back in April at the community meeting. There are still these 18 people who are homeless, essentially with unstable housing, and there are 26 who are temporarily housed. They could be the ones in the leased units from the federal government. Going forward, what's the plan? The Minister said there was a plan. Can you please elaborate on that, and tell us what he's going to do to make sure these people have stable housing?

Member's Statement on Hay River High-Rise Fire
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 15, 2019, a fire broke out on the 11th floor of the Mackenzie Place high-rise. Luckily, everybody made it out safely, and the Hay River fire department quickly extinguished the fire. Unfortunately, the resulting water damage and loss of power meant that the building was deemed not safe for habitation and, just like that, 123 residents were left without a home and, in most cases, with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing.

Before I go any further, I have to commend the efforts of everyone in Hay River and KFN who sprang into action and helped the...

Minister's Statement 180-18(3): Memorandum of Understanding - One Regulatory Framework for All Nursing Professionals.
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 73)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery prior to members' statements, and address it presently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 73)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 26, Bill 30, Committee Report 15-18(3), Minister's Statement 151-18(3), and Minister's Statement 158-18(3), and 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, 3rd Session (day 73)

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