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 , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. And so we do have the $70,000 in here. On the line item, there's another $85,000 the department contributes out of the Labour Market Development Agreement. Perhaps I can hand it to the deputy minister for some more succinct comments on the Member's question. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. We are supporting about 300 apprentices right now. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. So this House did pass the amendments to the Aurora College Act, so that decision has been made. So we're past the before part. But as the Member's aware, we have a facilities master plan that sets out, you know, potential infrastructure investments and the college and the government are well aware of the space limitations, and along with the residents in Fort Smith, addressing those limitations are the top priorities for new infrastructure for the college. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. That represents an influx of cash that we received from the federal government as part of their contribution to the transformation of Aurora College into a polytechnic university, and it was not recorded in this year because we received it last year. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. I just wanted to make some closing comments while we're here.

I appreciate all of the comments from committee. We've made some significant changes in this department and that's because of the support of my Cabinet colleagues and the Regular Members. I do listen when they speak and I have tried to you know, to put forward initiatives that I feel would be supported by all the Members of the House based on the needs in their regions.

I also want to say that I have tasked this department with some monumental initiatives this term. I probably wouldn't have done that had I known how the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. Part of the work to transform the college is ensuring that there is a funding formula in place so that these types of programs are costed. Right now that isn't in place although there is a budget for the programs, and it's the same budget that has existed since the programs were in existence. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Yes, I do.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you. So the financial supports that the department offers, they're available to any apprentices or employers you know, eligible employers anywhere. In terms of the programming being based in communities, part of the transformation of the college, you know, involves ensuring there is a presence in every community in the territory. What that presence will look like will be different elsewhere, but the idea is to make access to training more accessible in communities. So one of the central features of this transformation into a polytechnic is what the Member is talking about. We want to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Yes, absolutely. And as I travel around the territory to the different regions, I speak to the career development officers and they talk about their ontheground engagement with industry and with Indigenous governments as well. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 145)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will make sure that we convey the entirety of this conversation to the courts. We'll provide them with the transcript, and we can have a discussion with them. Thank you.