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

Committee Motion 88-18(2): Committee Report 8-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Annual Reports of the Information and Privacy Commissioner – Response to Report within 120 Days, Ca
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

I will now rise and report progress.

Question 710-18(2): Yellowknife Airport Terminal Hours of Operation
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Transportation this time. In the January 9th issue of the Hay River Hub, there was a story about Hay River resident Wayne Bennett. He and his wife, Lenie, landed in the Yellowknife airport in the early morning hours on December 28th. They had planned to stay at the airport for the four hours until their flight left for Hay River. However, apparently the airport closes after the last flight of the night and re-opens two hours before the first flight departs. Mr. Bennett called around, but there were no hotel rooms available, which...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, Minister. Nothing from Ms. Green. Seeing nothing further from committee, I will call this page. Infrastructure, operations expenditures, asset management, not previously authorized, $16,431,000. Does committee agree?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you. Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $669,000. Does committee agree?

Committee Motion 88-18(2): Committee Report 8-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Annual Reports of the Information and Privacy Commissioner – Response to Report within 120 Days, Ca
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of the report. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Testart.

Question 704-18(2): Commitment to the Manufacturing Industry
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

We have to follow traditional set-in-stone government policy. I thought this was a changed government. Mr. Speaker, I can help with this strategy. I have ideas. I know the issues. I wish the Minister would just work with us. You know, take some pressure off his department. I’m sure they have a lot to do. That’s something I’ll follow up on. Another big issue has been these giant projects, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars, P3 projects where a company from the South would get it and the money just flows out of the territory. I’d like to ask will the Minister commit to working with...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Committee Motion 87-18(2): Committee Report 8-18(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Annual Reports of the Information and Privacy Commissioner - Legal Opinion on Information System Refe
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

Thank you. Mr. Testart.

Question 704-18(2): Commitment to the Manufacturing Industry
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about manufacturing in the Northwest Territories. I mentioned that there were barriers to growth that needed to be addressed. They were too numerous to mention in detail in my Member’s statement, and too numerous to mention now. They include things outside the government’s control, but there are also bureaucratic issues that the government has the power to address. That is one reason that this manufacturing strategy is so important, and I have learned that when the government announces the development of a strategy, there is no point in...