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
Constituency Office

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

Minister
Premier of the Northwest Territories, Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Minister of Justice, Government House Leader

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Big announcements from the Minister?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 81)

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, this is something I have brought up in the House many times, and it is all tied in with everything we have just been speaking about. The remand centre in Hay River is not being used. This would save the RCMP money, and it would save everyone time.

I would like to ask the Minister: can I get an analysis of why the remand centre in Hay River cannot be used? What I always get is it is a minimum security centre. Well, there is a remand centre surrounded by a minimum security centre. Remand is located in minimum security prisons in Alberta, other places in Canada...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

I understand that upcoming budgets are often kept pretty close to the chest, so I appreciate that answer. I will take that as a positive. One of the other issues I touched on is how the RCMP are responsible for duties that sheriffs are generally responsible for in other jurisdictions.

My question is: why can we not put the responsibility for transporting and overseeing prisoners to and from court and while they are in court on the sheriffs instead of the RCMP? I am sure it is a much cheaper option, and there is already a sheriff in the courtroom. Why can we not do this?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I made a statement praising Hay River's liveability. It is a beautiful and safe place to raise a family, so do not take this the wrong way, but Hay River needs more cops.

Currently, Hay River is allocated seven general duty constables. Those are the men and women who patrol the community and respond to the day-to-day calls, from the routine mundane ones to the serious and potentially life-threatening calls. That is seven officers to cover the community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but seven officers does not necessarily mean seven...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

That is a great start. Another issue that takes up the time of the RCMP, and it is tied in with this last one, is the prisoner transport to and from Yellowknife to attend court in the South Slave. They have to do that because the remand centre in Hay River is no longer being used. This comes at a cost to the RCMP.

That is the RCMP budget that is used to transport the prisoners, and they do not even get the GNWT rate when it comes to flights. Can I ask the Minister: why does the RCMP not get the GNWT rate for these flights, and can we get it for them to save them a few bucks and put that back...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member's statement of a moment ago regarding the RCMP staffing levels in Hay River, I would like to direct these questions to the Minister of Justice. The RCMP presented to the GNWT a request and a business case for two additional general duty constables in Hay River. Will the department include these positions in next year's budget? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Committee, we have agreed to begin our afternoon with consideration of Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Coroners Act. I will ask the Minister responsible for the bill to introduce it. Minister Sebert.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, committee. To the bill as a whole. Does committee agree that Bill 29, Miscellaneous Statutes Law Amendment Act, 2017 is now ready for third reading?