Hay River's R.J. Simpson is the new premier of the N.W.T.

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.