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
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, our conversations with the federal government have largely been at increasing numbers across the board. Certainly, as other jurisdictions, we have not seen success in that one. One of the things that we are going to do this year, once we do our allocations for 2025 in preparation for 2026, we are going to work with stakeholders to develop a plan of if our nominee program looks the same as it does this year with 150 allocations, then we want to ensure that we're being as strategic as possible, and so one of the pieces of work we need to do is...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. No, Madam Chair, absolutely hear the Member, multiple Members on the floor of this House. So there were changes made to the income assistance program in the last Assembly, and one of -- what I think is one of the -- well, two of the greatest changes were, one, the division for income assistance for persons with disabilities and seniors, and so that allowed persons with disabilities and seniors to enter into an annual program, so it reduced the administrative burden. And then within the other program, so the income assistance for adults program, that -- one of...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you so much, Madam Chair. So a laddering program is a program that you take, you know, this course here, and that course there affords you also the experience that you need and the credentialing that you need to get to the second part of the course. And so a great example of that -- not one that we have currently in the Northwest Territories, but that I would love to one day see -- is, for example, if you sign up for a nursing program through Ryerson College today and you for some reason have to withdraw after the first year, they ensure that you finish with your personal support worker...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much. Learning for residents is certainly referenced in the mandate letter, but the specific details of what that looks like and with our agreement with Aurora College is found within the memorandum of understanding. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is what is ultimately the most important here.
Mr. Speaker, in relation to the entire legislation, ECE is working in consultation with Indigenous governments, and that work and the speed of that work will really be determined through the protocols with Intergovernmental Council. Specifically for this individual case here, you have the absolute commitment of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and myself to work as quickly as possible through the decision points that do remain but also with the associated consultation that needs...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Yes.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, can I pass to the deputy minister to speak in detail on this one. Thank you.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, increases to minimum wage are certainly incredibly important. They allow us to stay competitive as a jurisdiction across Canada, and so I think, you know, not only comparing ourselves as far as the formula and to previous years within ourselves but making sure that we're also comparing ourselves to other jurisdictions across Canada is incredibly important. I think what the Member might be leading me towards is conversations on a living wage versus minimum wage, and certainly there is a discrepancy between the two of those, but I do absolutely...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 45)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, when I'm talking about the programs, I'm talking about all of our labour market programs as a whole have not been all fully subscribed. To compare the numbers of where each of them have been at, I would need to get back to the Member as far as their subscription rates. Thank you.
