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, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm wondering why we would undersubscribe a program or sorry, underfund a program. And I mean and maybe that's just how we go in Health and Social Services, is underfunding our programs and we need to stop doing that. But if we have 30 potential spots, why would there not be 30 potential bursaries for 30 potential nursing students so that we can potentially say, okay, we only have 29 firstyear students; let's put this one last spot out there so that we can recruit one last person to make sure that this program is fully subscribed. So why is...
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions, to start, are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
We learned last week that there are currently 30 spots in the Aurora College nursing program. So I'm wondering if the Minister can tell us how many bursaries are available? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 130)
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. While we're giving all the love right above me here, the Arctic Energy Alliance, I'd love to direct some above Cabinet over there. We also have in the House with us this evening or sorry, this afternoon, Avery Parle, who is the vicepresident of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour. So welcome.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in June I identified that safety plans don't always happen at health centres and hospitals when somebody presents with a suicide attempt. And so how does Health and Social Services now ensure that every suicide attempt receives a safety plan when they are at the hospital or the healthcare centre? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I guess I kind of respectfully disagree because if that was the case then we wouldn't have funds like the Suicide Prevention Fund who ask communities to decide what they want to do, and we do pass over the money. Youth in the territory really or around the world is considered 29 and under. And there's some pretty inspiring and empowered people under the age of 29. And I had the opportunity to sit and listen to quite a few of them who have a lot of ideas of how to help one another and how to provide that peer support. So as part of this...
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the Member's response. How will youth be involved in this conversation and this review that's taking place? We heard that there's been conversations with the school bodies themselves, but these don't often include youth representatives and include youth voices. So how are youth going to be empowered to partake in this conversation? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, is this committee solely to talk about issues, or will there be opportunity for youth to drive change within their communities? So will this committee also come potentially with the power to change policy, the power to change or provide recommendations to school boards, to communities, and will it come with funding? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues, not only for their support today but for their honest and candid conversations that we had in committee. Every single person in this room, I would say, knows somebody that they have lost or who is struggling right now. And so I want to thank the Members for sharing so candidly together because those are very difficult conversations not only to have but to have with your work colleagues. And so I thank the Members for that very, very much.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to challenge...
