Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister of Education, Culture and Employment
The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland was first elected in the 19th Assembly as the MLA for Kam Lake in 2019, and has served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment since 2023 after being acclaimed to the 20th Assembly.
In addition to owning and operating a northern business for over 20 years, Minister Cleveland worked in a variety of communications and policy roles in both the public and private sectors before entering politics.
Between 2019 to 2023, she chaired the Standing Committee on Social Development, fulfilling a goal to be a part of the discussions and decisions affecting social programs in the Northwest Territories. Her noteworthy work on the Committee included guiding the considerable review and input into recommendations on housing in the NWT, suicide prevention, and improvements to caring for children in care and building supported families.
Within the scope of her portfolios, Minister Cleveland is focused on helping children grow into successful NWT residents that recognize opportunities and develop successful careers that contribute to a growing economy. She advocates for new approaches to sector diversification and innovation, and ensures the North is welcoming both skilled foreign workers and investment in the critical mineral resources across the territory. She persistently explores solutions for efficient and equitable access to programs and services, upholding a shared vision of an NWT where people are supported in the ways they wish to live, work, and grow.
Minister Cleveland is a lifelong resident of Yellowknife where she lives with her husband and their three children.
Mr. Speaker, this year, Health and Social Services tabled the Home and Community Care report, which gave an earnest view of how ready we are to care for our aging population. As we live through a global pandemic with an aging population, an economy of care is most definitely a viable and valuable investment sector. Currently, there are over 6,000 seniors and elders over the age of 60 in the NWT, of which over 1,000 are over 75. Within 15 years, seniors and elders over 60 are projected to increase to over 9,700 and the demand for Home and Community Care services in the NWT is projected to...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to gain a little bit of extra clarity. In relation to the good-faith deposit, the GNWT has collected roughly $225,000. I am wondering if there was an expense that the GNWT felt that they incurred by running the program that would justify keeping that? Thank you.
No. I appreciate knowing that that was kept three times. Can the Minister speak to what happens to this deposit, and was it ever used to support damages to local businesses that were incurred by local businesses in relation to this program?
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. The NWT Nominee Program for the business stream used to have a $75,000 good-faith deposit. I am wondering if the Minister can explain what purpose the deposit did serve? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 40)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am just wondering if the GNWT, when requesting bids or tenders or contracts for vehicles, is specific to the make and model of the vehicle or if they leave it open so that different suppliers are able to bid on the contract and not just, for example, Ford or GM or Dodge, and so that it's a little bit more open and different businesses can bid on the contract? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's words, and I appreciate the fact that she does come from a very distinct legal background. I would like to suggest that, given that the North is definitely always looking for ways to build capacity and always looking for ways to empower local business owners, that potentially the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment can put some weight behind helping build that strength within the northern business community to make sure that everybody has tools at their disposal to set themselves up for success. Thank you.
I would speculate that the expenses to the department would be in the form of salary dollars to people who would remain employed whether or not someone was participating in the program. I can say that there may be business owners in our communities who have been hurt, not directly by the program, I will say, but by people not fulfilling their obligation to the agreement that was in relation to the program. These people have not been compensated through the good-faith deposit. What I am wondering is if there is a mechanism for people, for business owners within our communities, to receive...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am understanding that there was a good-faith deposit that was instituted by the Government of the Northwest Territories to ensure that applicants met their agreement with the Northwest Territories to come here, set up business, participate in northern economy, and to really form relationships with local businesses. I also understand that three times the GNWT kept deposits when that did not work and that not necessarily was that ever passed along to local businesses that may have incurred damage because of this program. What I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, is:...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past June, the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Industry, Tourism and Investment teamed up to announce a new website for the NWT Nominee Program. The goal of this resource is to help attract, settle, and retain foreign nationals to the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, I see great value in attracting newcomers to the Northwest Territories; increasing our population base is the easiest way for the NWT to increase the federal transfer payment, which is how the government generates most of its spending money. Immigration also increases diversity and reunites...
