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 27)

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

Committee Motion 48-18(3): Committee Report 6-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories - Comprehensive Response to Repo
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

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

---Carried

The motion is carried. I will rise and report progress.

Committee Motion 43-18(3): Committee Report 6-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories - Draft Knowledge Agenda Action
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion on the floor. To the motion.

Question 276-18(3): Government Response to Pilot Shortage
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

I guess it is very early, but is this something the government would look at partnering with a local airline on? Is the government willing to look at providing funding to get this school started?

Committee Motion 48-18(3): Committee Report 6-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories - Comprehensive Response to Repo
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

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

---Carried

The motion is carried. Thank you, committee. Committee, do you agree that we have concluded consideration of Committee Report 6-18(3), Standing Committee on Government Operations, Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories?

Committee Motion 42-18(3): Committee Report 6-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories - Draft Climate Change Strategic
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. To the motion.

Question 276-18(3): Government Response to Pilot Shortage
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are not enough pilots in Canada to meet the demand, and this gap is widening. The effects are being felt across Canada, but, in the NWT, we are disproportionately affected, I would say, because our territory is so large, would have a lack of road infrastructure, and the new rules around pilot fatigue mean more pilots are required to maintain the current flights that we have. Many residents rely heavily on small regional airlines, and those are the type of airlines that have difficulty retaining pilots because they are being poached by the bigger...

Committee Motion 48-18(3): Committee Report 6-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories - Comprehensive Response to Repo
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Minister. I gave you a wide berth because you did hold your comments to the end, but generally we speak to the motion. So, to the motion, the motion that is in front of us. To the motion. Mr. Testart.

Committee Motion 41-18(3): Committee Report 6-18(3): Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2017 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Climate Change in the Northwest Territories - Acknowledgement and Reference
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

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

---Carried

Thank you. Mr. Testart.

Question 270-18(3): Taxation of Student Loans and Grants
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a few things that I am really passionate about; education is one of them, and that's why I always tell the young people, that makes me sound old, but I always tell the young people that we have great student financial assistance in the territory. It has gotten better recently with their Bring It North initiative, which rewards people for coming back to the North, or even if you weren't from the North, moving here. It helps with student loans.

Recently, a lot of people started receiving their T4A slips for one of the initiatives in Northern Bonus. I have some...