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.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to continue my conversation with the Minister of Justice in regard to domestic violence. I apologize; I hope I am not putting too much pressure on her. My first question is just in regard to the resource that I requested earlier. I am just wondering if, while we are waiting for Cabinet to choose a lead department, the Department of Justice would be prepared to take on creating those resources for victims of domestic violence? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 14)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I really appreciate the Premier’s response. The last line item there is travel. Travel in 2018-2019 was at $82,000, and then, for main estimates this year, it’s at $420,000. Is that because it was leading into an election year? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question for the Minister of health is: has recruitment begun for the chief oral health officer position that was identified as part of the oral health strategy? Thank you.
I'm going to pretend she said "yes." I want to be part of the yes club today. I do have a yes question, though. Would the Minister be willing to commit to determining if we are willing to make this change as the Northwest Territories this year, so that we can potentially update the act in 2020?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the Northwest Territories, and we do things a little differently up here. The way we live, work, and govern together is different than Southern Canada. It is a product of a different history.
The fusion of traditional knowledge and innovative technologies means the history of our people and the sustainability of our land are at the forefront of our decisions and that each decision balances where we are going and how far we’ve come.
The Northwest Territories is a land of remarkable beauty, with strong and resilient people. More than half of us are Indigenous and...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 14)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The first line item on this page is Cabinet communications and protocol, and we fielded questions earlier from the Member for Yellowknife North in regard to communication. On a previous page, there was a line item for corporate communications, which outlined about $1,500,000, and then the section we were just in, under regional operations, it stated that one of the responsibilities of regional operations was also to provide an open line of communication between the regions. I’m just wondering: within these three different line items, how do they work together...
Wednesday is my new favourite day of the week. I am wondering, Mr. Speaker: what legislative change has the department initiated under the Oral Health Action Plan to oral health professional role?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. We had a great conversation yesterday about the Dental Auxiliaries Act, and I just want to make sure that the wheels keep turning on that one. As part of the oral health strategy, has the department done any jurisdictional research or spoken with dentists and dental hygienists to determine the feasibility of allowing dental hygienists to be self-initiated? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I identified an important change to the NWT Dental Auxiliaries Act that I would like to see the Minister of health make to improve access to and delivery of oral health services for residents of the NWT. As the Member for Kam Lake, I speak for my constituents. Every dollar spent by this government, whether in my constituency or across the NWT, impacts the cost of living for the people of Kam Lake. However, I also feel a responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of all residents of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. My question was: do we provide support to Indigenous governments in any way possible, in any of our capacities, to be able to provide support for Indigenous governments to access that funding? Thank you.
