Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I have a couple of questions, and I think I'm going to start on language since we're there. The Minister had mentioned an influx of federal dollars available to Indigenous languages. Last year, in 2019, the federal government deemed 2019 the international year of Indigenous languages, and they opened up a federal funding pot of $333,700,000 that they were going to distribute over five years. I'm wondering if our government was able to provide, or does provide, any support to Indigenous governments to access that federal funding. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. On page 51, under "grants," there is "workforce development agreement," and under "contributions," there is also, the bottom line, "workforce development agreement." I am wondering if the Minister can speak to the differences between these two line items and why one is going up and the other is going down? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am going to go back, as well, then. I completely understand that the act stipulates that there is a requirement that there is indirect supervision from a dentist. However, that means that a dental hygienist who wants to practise in northern communities needs to find a dentist who is willing to take them on under their wing, so to say, and that prevents people from being able to just go to communities on their own as a business owner and provide dental hygiene appointments or preventative healthcare to people who live in these small communities. What that will end up...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My last question, and I'll let someone else talk here for a bit: does the Department of Education, Culture and Employment do exit interviews with its teachers? Thank you.

Will the Minister have her department undertake an assessment of the feasibility of allowing dental hygienists to practice without the oversight of dentists so that our small communities have better access to preventative oral healthcare?

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I notice, on this page, there are the NWTTA Professional Improvement dollars, as well. I am wondering if we will expect to see a review of the STIP days come out of the Department of education this year. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. A couple of weeks ago, we heard from the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes about the importance of oral health. I share her concerns and believe that the Department of Health and Social Services could be doing more to support good oral health and the prevention of oral diseases.

We live in a unique part of the world with unique needs. In our remote communities, access to regular dental care is not consistent, and treatment is not timely or immediate. Accessing treatment is complicated by the fact that dental services are not insured medical services under the Canada Health...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm going to move up to the line item for fees and payments. The line item for fees and payments has changed significantly over the years, in a positive direction. It's gone from $2.475 to $4.19 million. I'm wondering if the Minister can elaborate a little bit on that line item. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am very supportive of this initiative, and I'm wondering if there are plans within Education, Culture and Employment's long-term strategy to expand this program to other regions of the Northwest Territories so that, for example, they have a team based out of Inuvik? Thank you.

Thank you very much for that, Madam Chair. I really appreciate that information, and I think it will be really interesting to be able to see how that program is doing and the graduates that come out of it over the course of this government. I think that's very exciting. I am wondering if the Minister would be willing to reflect on the significant increase in travel under the culture, heritage, and languages page, which went from actuals in 2018-2019 of $177,000, to the main estimates of $368,000, and I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to how that will improve the cultural, heritage, and...