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 very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this isn't yet a done conversation. The department is still working with this sector in order to figure out what works best for everybody involved. And this is a relationship that I am absolutely committed to. I have spoken with the association and let them know that I consider our first meeting the first of many. I want to maintain that open working relationship, and child care is something that I absolutely have benefitted from as a working parent in the territory, and I intend to see other working parents receive the same benefit as well. Thank...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the dollars aren't awarded or allotted by region. They are subsidies that are provided to child care providers across the Northwest Territories. So it would be the subsidies would be in relation to how many children, if those children are fulltime or parttime, and information that is specific to each child care provider, whether or not that is a daycare provider or a day home. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, inflation was not something that was built into the original agreement, and this is something that we are hearing across the country from all jurisdictions that have and share the same concerns. The funding agreements were signed before we saw record inflation across the territory, and unfortunately, we are all all jurisdictions are in the same boat with this one. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that the department is doing their best to work with stakeholders in the sector in order to determine what those numbers are going to look like. I know that in some instances, the department is actually working through individual numbers with individual organizations and actually sitting down with people and comparing so that they know exactly what the other is talking about, what the other is going through and what one another's goals are, because there's a real desire both not just with myself but within the department to see not less...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is well aware of the securities council that the government of Yukon has put in place. We were excited to see some of the names on that council because those are people that we have had the opportunity to work with here at the Government of the Northwest Territories in the past and that we look forward very much to seeing the results of that securities council. But as far as what the Premier will choose to do, that question would have to go to the Premier. I can say, though, that we have priority setting...
Thank you very much. I'll respond to many things; that's okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we don't have a similar mechanism to that. We here in the Northwest Territories, that type of responsibility would fall to the federal government under the Investment Canada Act and if they choose to do a review and they need the support of the GNWT, ITI would certainly participate in any means that they needed us to. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've had the opportunity to actually at this point, in my term as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, to sit down with the association and have a very frank conversation with them about their concerns and about what they're looking for. I know that the department right now is working with the sector in order to do engagement and feedback on where they're at with establishing what the wage grid is. And so given that that information has not been solidified with the sector, that's why there is no final determination of what those dollars...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much to the Member. I was very excited to hear the Member refer to the virtual meeting that NWT Early Childhood Association had with their stakeholders because I was able to sit in on that meeting last year as a Regular Member, and it was I found it very helpful to be able to hear the personal stories of what people in the territory are going through.
Mr. Speaker, what I can tell the Member is that the Government of Canada has announced overall funding to this sector and, specifically here within the GNWT, for $49.5 million over a fiveyear...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how the thresholds are currently set up, they're divided into three separate zones, and these zones take into account the size of the communities and where the communities are located within the Northwest Territories. So, for example, zone 1, which is where Behchoko is located, has an income threshold of $56,000 versus a community like Gameti, which is zone 2, which has a threshold of $64,000, and zone 3, which, for example, has communities like Wekweeti, has a threshold of $73,000. But I really welcome the conversations with the Member and...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much to the Member for the question. There was an increase to the seniors home heating subsidy that was recently done, and that was able to ensure that seniors receive up to 80 percent of the estimated 2023 fuel costs associated with heating a home in the Northwest Territories. And so there was an increase that was recently done, and the intent of the policy is to cover up to 80 percent of the fuel costs on average of Northwest Territories seniors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
