R.J. Simpson
R.J. Simpson | |
|---|---|
Simpson in 2025 | |
| 14th Premier of the Northwest Territories | |
| Assumed office December 8, 2023 | |
| Deputy | Caroline Wawzonek |
| Commissioner | Margaret Thom Gerald Kisoun |
| Preceded by | Caroline Cochrane |
| Member of the Executive Council of the Northwest Territories | |
| Assumed office October 24, 2019 | |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories for Hay River North | |
| Assumed office November 23, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Bouchard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rocky Simpson September 27, 1980 |
| Party | Independent |
| Relatives | Rocky Simpson Sr. (father) |
| Education | MacEwan University (BA) University of Alberta (JD) |
Rocky "R.J." Simpson (born September 27, 1980) is a Canadian politician, the 14th premier of the Northwest Territories since December 2023.[1] He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the 2015 election.[2] He represents the electoral district of Hay River North.
Political career
He was returned to office in the 2019 Northwest Territories general election by acclamation, as no candidates filed to run against him by the close of nominations.[3] Before the election, he announced that he would put his name forward for Premier of the Northwest Territories when the newly elected MLAs met to select the premier and cabinet.[4] Simpson was elected to Premier Caroline Cochrane's cabinet committee by the new territorial MLAs on October 24, 2019.[5] His cabinet portfolio includes Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Minister Responsible for the Public Utilities Board, and Government House Leader.[6] In 2025, he signed agreements with other provinces and territories to reduce interprovincial trade barriers in the midst of the United States trade war with Canada.[7][8]
Personal life
Simpson has a Bachelor of Arts degree from MacEwan University and a law degree from the University of Alberta.[9]
His father, Rocky Simpson Sr., was also elected to the 19th Assembly as representative for Hay River South.[10]
Electoral history
| 2023 Northwest Territories general election: Hay River North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ||||||
| R. J. Simpson (I.C.) | 398 | 65.57 | ||||||
| Michael Wallington | 109 | 17.96 | ||||||
| Hans Wiedemann | 85 | 14.00 | ||||||
| Greg McMeekin | 15 | 2.47 | ||||||
| Total votes | 607 | |||||||
| 2019 Northwest Territories general election: Hay River North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | |||||||
| R. J. Simpson | Acclaimed | |||||||
Source(s)
"Eight ridings to watch in the Northwest Territories' election". CBC. Retrieved 2019-09-11. | ||||||||
| 2015 Northwest Territories general election: Hay River North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ||||||
| R. J. Simpson | 375 | 52.7 | ||||||
| Robert Bouchard | 252 | 35.4 | ||||||
| Karen Felker | 84 | 11.8 | ||||||
References
- ^ "MLAs to choose N.W.T.'s next premier today | CBC News". Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- ^ "Premier Bob McLeod wins seat again in Northwest Territories general election". The Globe and Mail, November 23, 2015.
- ^ John Last and Sidney Cohen, "Eight ridings to watch in the Northwest Territories' election". CBC News, September 7, 2019.
- ^ Paul Bickford, "Hay River North MLA R.J. Simpson to run for premier". Northern News Services, September 9, 2019.
- ^ Ollie Williams, "Here's who will be in Caroline Cochrane's NWT cabinet". Cabin Radio, October 24, 2019.
- ^ Ollie Williams, "Full list of NWT ministers as Cochrane hands out portfolios". Cabin Radio, November 5, 2019.
- ^ https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006222/ontario-signs-new-free-trade-agreements-with-british-columbia-and-canadas-three-territories
- ^ https://yukon.ca/en/news/territorial-governments-sign-memorandum-understanding-towards-creating-territorial-trade-zone
- ^ https://www.ntlegislativeassembly.ca/meet-members/mla/rj-simpson
- ^ Ollie Williams, "Only Nahendeh left to elect MLA, 18 others are elected". Cabin Radio, October 1, 2019.