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 73)

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. To the motion. Seeing no further comments, I will turn to Ms. Green to close debate on this motion. Ms. Green.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Does committee agree?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

We will now rise and report progress.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Finally, the Hay River Health Authority has problems attracting physicians. It seems like we are always understaffed. We are always relying on locums to a greater extent than, say, Yellowknife. Hay River is competing to hire from the same pool as the NWT Health Authority. Is the Minister aware if the underperforming pension at the Hay River Health Authority is a factor in its inability to recruit staff? Has he heard of this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, committee. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

What is the wish of committee? Mr. Testart.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. As a follow-up, there was recently a health crisis in one of the regions, and staff from Stanton was dispatched virtually immediately, as far as I understand, to provide assistance in that region. Does the fact that Hay River is not part of the Territorial Health Authority mean it would be more difficult to do this for Hay River, if we needed emergency staff in Hay River?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, committee. Committee, to the bill of the whole, does the committee agree that Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Health and Social Services Professions Act as amended and reprinted, is now ready for third reading?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 1966, a 23-year-old Russell King and his wife Mary King opened King's Service, a welding and mechanical repair shop, out of their home-based workshop at Mile 5. Earlier today, after five decades of hard work, Russell King was officially inducted into the Order of the NWT. I want to congratulate Mr. King, but I also want to express my regrets that this honour was not also bestowed on Mrs. King as well because, since King's Service opened in 1966, it has always been Russell and Mary.

Mr. King was inducted into the Order of the NWT for his contributions to...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, Minister. Anything further, Mr. O'Reilly? Nothing further for opening comments from Mr. O'Reilly. Anything further from committee? I see nothing. Does committee agree there are no further opening comments? Agreed.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 72)

Thank you, Minister. I open the floor to general comments. Do we have any general comments on Bill 18? Mr. O'Reilly.