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

Bill 40: An Act to Amend the Medical Profession Act, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 118)

In favour.

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 118)

In favour.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 118)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I also want to recognize my former colleague, former Premier Bob McLeod. And now being on this side of the House as a Minister, I also want to apologize to the Member, former Premier; I'm getting my comeuppance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Oral Question 1143-19(2): Infrastructure Issues at Ecole Boreale
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 118)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And there have been concerns about the classrooms being too hot in the late spring/early summer. As a result, Infrastructure has installed portable air conditioners. There isn't a plan to connect the portable building to the main air handling unit but we do have the portable air conditioners in place. And I will say that, you know, this issue brought to light the fact there needs to be a little better communication. So I've reached out or I've had conversations with the president of the CSFTNO, the French language school board, and I've had conversations with the...

Oral Question 1143-19(2): Infrastructure Issues at Ecole Boreale
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 118)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also received dozens and dozens of emails from students, staff, parents, perhaps other people in the community who were concerned about this issue, and I appreciate those emails because it brought it to my attention.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment became aware of this issue just prior to the flooding in Hay River, and that was really the first time that we knew about it.

So the issue that we've learned, in consultation with the Department of Infrastructure, is that there have been ongoing sewage backup issues. This goes back to the original issue...

Oral Question 1135-19(2): Place Naming and Renaming the Museum
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And there is still a fulltime toponymist which is now known as a cultural places officer, and that was renamed about ten years ago, so still 30 years after the Member first arrived here. And then that position does all of the naming work that the Member is talking about. And it is a busy office.

There have been hundreds of name changes and new names made official in the last number of years, and currently there are 424 new and replacement names that have been submitted by the Lutselk'e Dene First Nation, and 13 Indigenous place names in the Naats'ihch'oh National Park...

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

In favour.

Oral Question 1138-19(2): RCMP Violence Against Indigenous Women
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you. Once again, Mr. Speaker, with a bit of head's up I might have been able to come up with some of these answers and get these very specific operational details from the RCMP. But I will have to get back to the Member. Thank you.

Oral Question 1138-19(2): RCMP Violence Against Indigenous Women
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So as everyone knows, the RCMP is a contractor. They are separate. I'm not privy to all of the operational details, and I don't have them on hand. So because of that, I will have to get back to the Member with a written response. Thank you.

Oral Question 1136-19(2): RCMP Complaints and Misconduct
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 117)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The answer to the question 3A is five years. And the answer to question 3B is about two pages long, so I will share that by email with the Member. Thank you.