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 752-18(2): Status of Hay River Health Authority
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like there’s a lot of work on that. That’s great to hear. The Minister says it must be done, and so I just want to ask the Minister: now that the 17th Assembly has been dealing with it, can we get a commitment that the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority would be brought into the NWT Health and Social Services Authority before the end of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 752-18(2): Status of Hay River Health Authority
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 69)

I can add "I don’t know" to the number of responses I have gotten to how much it is going to cost. I know every year that the department tops up this pension plan, and I was wondering if the Minister has the numbers about how much the department has already put into this pension plan over the past 10 or 12 years, however long it has been going on.

Question 739-18(2): A New Day Program Request for Proposals
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll try this: can I get the Minister to commit to either reading the old and new RFP or getting a briefing on the new and old RFP so I can have an educated discussion with him about this at some point in the future? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 101-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Co
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Question has been called. All those in favour. All those opposed. The motion is carried. Thank you, committee.

---Carried

Mr. Testart.

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Committee Report 7-18(2)?

Committee Motion 101-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Co
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

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

Question 739-18(2): A New Day Program Request for Proposals
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

I’ll give a copy of my statements from the last two days to the Minister because I know about A New Day program as it stands now. We’re talking about a RFP that is for A New Day program that looks like a substantially different program. That’s the details I’m looking for. If the Minister heard my statement today, the new program isn’t based on the report. I’ve pointed out various aspects of it that doesn’t fly in the face of the report. Why can’t the Minister release these details that are going to be released at the meeting on Tuesday?

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

Committee Motion 100-18(2): Committee Report 9-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General of Canada on Support to Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories – Municipal and Co
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. To the motion.

Question 736-18(2): A New Day Program Request for Proposals
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am aware of what has happened in the past. That is why I am asking questions about the future. Going back again, I asked the Minister yesterday if he would make the details of the new program public because, as I mentioned, the RFP is quite vague. Even the appendix referred to was a blank page in the RFP. It has since been updated, and it contains -- actually, the PowerPoint presentation was given to the standing committee. It does not even make sense in the context of the RFP because -- it is going to take me all day to discuss, so I will just cut it short here...