Hay River's R.J. Simpson is the new premier of the N.W.T.
CBC
Hay River North MLA R.J. Simpson is the new premier of the N.W.T.
MLAs gathered in the Legislative Assembly in Yellowknife Thursday to select the territory's next premier, Speaker and cabinet. The meeting follows the territory's general election on Nov. 14.
The morning started off with a surprise: in an emotional speech, Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson — who had earlier said he wanted to be premier — instead put his name forward for Speaker and removed himself as one of the four candidates for premier.
He won the Speaker job easily — no one else was nominated for the role.
That left MLAs with three options for premier: Simpson, Yellowknife South MLA Caroline Wawzonek, and Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart. Each candidate (including Thompson) had pitched their case last week for leading the territory, and on Thursday the remaining candidates fielded questions from the rest of the MLAs.
The questions covered a wide range of topics, such as their approach to the leadership role, how they'd worked with cabinet and regular MLAs, and how they'd tackle various issues the N.W.T. is facing. The questioning lasted roughly three hours.
MLAs then voted for premier using a secret ballot. After about fifteen minutes, Legislative Assembly clerk Glen Rutland announced another round of voting was needed, and that Wawzonek was removed from the ballot.
After the second round, Simpson was named premier.
Simpson breaks a short consecutive streak of N.W.T. premiers who come from Yellowknife. His leadership will mark a return to a convention suggesting premiers alternate between coming from Yellowknife and coming from other communities. The last two premiers — Caroline Cochrane and Bob McLeod — have both been from the city, and McLeod served two terms in a row.
At 1:30 p.m., candidates put their names forward to be part of the N.W.T.'s executive council. Rutland said the assembly would be following another long-held convention: that two members of cabinet would be from the southern regions, two from the northern regions, and two from Yellowknife.
MLAs Denny Rodgers, Lesa Semmler, Jane Weyallon Armstrong, Lucy Kuptana and Danny McNeely stepped forward as candidates from the northern regions while MLAs Vince McKay, Jay Macdonald and Richard Edjericon came forward as candidates from the southern regions. MLAs Caitlin Cleveland, Robert Hawkins, Shauna Morgan, Kieron Testart and Caroline Wawzonek were the candidates from Yellowknife.
After each one delivered a speech, members turned down their opportunity to ask questions of the candidates and voted to make Lucy Kuptana, Lesa Semmler, Jay Macdonald, Vince McKay, Caitlin Cleveland and Caroline Wawzonek members of the new executive council.
Simpson and the executive council will be sworn in on Friday.
According to a media statement from the Legislative Assembly's communications team, Simpson will decide the portfolios of the new executive council members at a later date.
As their role in health care continues to grow, nurse practitioners across Canada are looking to Alberta, where nurse practitioners recently formed their own union — but on P.E.I., the nurses' union that represents them says it's doing its job.
As the fallout over fallen buildings in Gore Park continues, Hamilton officials will be turning their attention to other properties.
Fire crews responded to a transport truck fire on the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit.
When the government touts that its auto insurance reforms might curb premiums by $400 come 2027, the ministers and premier don't readily mention what's to come in the three years leading up to that.
Who poses the greater threat to the free speech of Conservative MPs — the Speaker of the House of Commons or the leader of the Conservative Party?
As city council prepares to vote on a temporary shelter village for people experiencing homelessness in Thunder Bay, Ont., opposition is growing among the area's business community.
A Toronto centre for Black art is hosting an exhibition this weekend that exclusively features work by artists from across the African diaspora.
Click on the video player above on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET to watch the 2024 Vanier Cup.
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Some Canadian seniors say they're feeling abandoned by the Liberal government's latest inflation relief measure after learning they don't qualify for it.
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.