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.
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment
Statements in Debates
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)
Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me know if I'm in the wrong section here, but I do notice that there is some mention of some P3s on here. We have the Mackenzie Valley fibre link on here. I am just wondering what the process is for us entering into any further P3 agreements. Is it solely at the discretion of the Minister? Is it a Cabinet decision? Does that decision ever come through this side of the House? Thank you, Madam Chair.
I appreciate that offer from the Minister. My second question would be: does the Minister feel that the Affirmative Action Policy, as it currently stands, is meeting its objectives, given the relatively stagnant Indigenous hiring statistics over the course of the policy's lifetime?
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to just take this time to recognize some Pages in the House today. From Kam Lake, we have Cyra Dizon and Isha Jha. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. My concern around that is our corporate income taxes for our large companies in the Northwest Territories are typically a lower percent than they are compared to the rest of Canada, and our taxes for our small and medium businesses are actually higher than they are for the average of the rest of Canada. I am wondering if the Minister of Finance is also willing to talk about our small and medium business income tax percentage as well over the life of this Assembly, and preferably this year? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)
I appreciate that. It's just an opportunity to update people on business opportunities within our communities. No further questions on this one. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)
Sorry, just so that I'm clear: there is a request for proposal process? It's not a request for interest process? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 11)
Thank you, Madam Chair. My questions are along the same lines as my colleague from Yellowknife North. Has the Minister of Finance entered into any kind of discussion with the Government of Canada in regard to the cost of cannabis? One of the reasons that we legalized cannabis was to provide for greater safety for our residents, in order to make sure that we were supplying them with a safe product; but, when the product is priced much higher than the black market, it doesn't accomplish that goal. So, are we having conversations about the cost of legal cannabis versus the cost of black market...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I am definitely game to sit down with the Minister any time. One thing that I routinely have heard lately from my constituents is that the government seemed to very easily find the extra million dollars to cover the taxation error for the Stanton Territorial Hospital. It was a very expensive oversight that could have almost doubled the amount of funding that the mandate proposes to include to close the municipal funding gap over the next four years. I am wondering if the Minister will at least commit to including the rate of inflation in the $5-million mandate...
No. I appreciate the Minister's honesty on that one, and maybe we can do dinner and reading together. My next question is: what is the department planning to do moving forward to ensure that the figures reported on page 12 continue to be annually updated and provided to the NWT Association of Communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For four years, the regular Members of the 18th Assembly made repeated calls for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to develop a strategy to address the municipal funding gap. That report was quietly tabled on the final day of the final sitting of the 18th Assembly, which prevented any public discussion. This is not surprising, Mr. Speaker, given how dire the findings are. On page 12, it states, "In 2019, the full cost of basic infrastructure has increased to $2.9 billion with an investment of $69 million needed annually." It went on to say that, "The total...
