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

Question 525-18(3): Taltson Hydroelectricity Expansion
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 51)

I just saw on the Minister's statement it said that the GNWT has put in a request for additional financial support, so I guess it is not an application per se. It is just a request.

I know that the Minister says that phase two is looking at an interprovincial connection and I have asked in this House before about talks with Saskatchewan and I understood that that was one of the customers they were looking at. Have there been any recent talks with Saskatchewan that the Minister can update us on?

Question 525-18(3): Taltson Hydroelectricity Expansion
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 51)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure regarding his earlier Minister's statement about Taltson Hydro Electricity Expansion. I recall that last year the MLA for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh questioned the government about why they weren't consulting with local Indigenous groups in the Fort Smith area regarding the expansion of Taltson. The answer was that there were no customers for the hydro power that could be generated by an expansion, so there was no point in consulting because there was no customer.

I see that there is money now for consultations, and I...

Member's Statement on Landa Aviation
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 51)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the good people at Landa Aviation for taking it upon themselves to help reduce Hay River's cost of living by offering affordable scheduled flights between Hay River and Yellowknife six days a week.

Prior to May 2018, when Landa Aviation began offering scheduled passenger flights, the cost of a return plane ticket between Hay River and Yellowknife was $1,200. As I stated before in this House, depending on when you booked, you could fly from Yellowknife to Beijing for less than it cost for the 25-minute flight over the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion to report progress. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

I will rise and report progress.

Question 516-18(3): Marine Transportation Services
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and finally, if the Minister could please talk about how this has been used as an opportunity to keep money in the North, and employ Northerners and train Northerners? Could the Minister explain what type of northern content was included in the RFP and what type of northern businesses are being employed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 516-18(3): Marine Transportation Services
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

Could the Minister elaborate on just what is going to be disposed of? I know there are a couple dozen barges right on the water, and then there are probably a dozen tugs in the NTCL yard itself. Could he elaborate on how much of that is going to disappear from the landscape?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a couple people I would like to recognize. First, Ms. Kristine Vannebo-Suwala, the executive director of the Family Support Centre in Hay River. I want to welcome her here and thank her for all her hard work.

The second person I want to recognize is my beautiful girlfriend, Chantal Lafferty. I appreciate her coming out. This is the first time she has been to the House while I have been here, and she informed me that it might be the last. I'm not sure why, but that is what she said. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 131-18(3), Sessional Statement, and Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates, 2019-2020, and would like to report progress, and Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

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

Question 516-18(3): Marine Transportation Services
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 50)

Now, I know scrap metal has a value. It is probably not much. Is this costing the government money, or is there some money coming into the government's coffers from this?