Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I very much appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, the last change that I highlighted in my Member's statement today was the change for remissible loans. It added that for the eligibility requirement of students, I would like to understand why the GNWT wants to remove the eligibility requirement of students being schooled in the Northwest Territories for remissible loans without adding a return to the North clause for nonNWT schooled students. This has been one of the strongest retention tools that the NWT has, and I'm wondering...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I wanted to save the Minister some printing and get those changes in before he printed his new rules.

I think there's a lot more focus that's needed on this one because I think that there's something that can be done here in order to include more students in this in the Northwest Territories without it meaning more money from student financial assistance in big dollar amounts given where we're at.

Mr. Speaker, back when I was a student using student financial assistance, I was walking around with my flip phone, I was T9 texting or whatever you used to call it, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the North is a pretty incredible community. When someone starts a new business, we show up and don't mind waiting to be one of the first to support a new venture. We love telling people about our experience and sharing encouraging words as our neighbours settle into entrepreneurship, and we love doing this because of the impact business brings to our community. While fulfilling their career goals, businesses step up when a sports team needs support, contribute to residents experiencing loss, and bring life to our communities.

But I wonder, Mr. Speaker, if...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, for the second year in a row, Hay River and K'atlodeeche First Nation residents have been hit with severe disasters and forced to evacuate as we have heard much of today. Residents who work for the GNWT, but can't work remotely, are being asked to use vacation leave, special leave, or even leave without pay during this time. This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. Mandatory evacuation should not be made to take away from people's family and medical needs, mental health breaks, or vacation leave. The...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Appointment of Law Clerk and Deputy Law Clerk.

WHEREAS section 54(3) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act provides that the Commissioner, on the recommendation of the Board of Management, approve by motion of the Legislative Assembly, shall appoint a law clerk;

AND WHEREAS the current law clerk to the Assembly, Ms. Sheila MacPherson, has been appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories after more than 25 years of outstanding service and dedication to the Assembly;

AND WHEREAS Members of this Legislative Assembly...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 29th, 2023, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Sahtu, that the Legislative Assembly recommends the appointment of Mr. Toby Kruger as law clerk and Ms. Sandra Mackenzie as deputy law clerk as recommended by the Board of Management;

And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of the appointment to the Commissioner.

And, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear the empathy from the Minister and I also hear the acknowledgement from Ministers and Members on kind of the cumulative impacts of having to evacuate, as the MLA for Hay River North said earlier during their Member's statement, two, three, four consecutive years here, going on with disasters from really, from the impacts of climate change and so we're just going to continue to see more of them. But we also heard the MLA for Hay River North today during their Member's statement speaks about how the fire is only six kilometres away right now, and so...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the Minister stating that because I had the privilege of having dinner with people from Hay River last night, and this was not the information that they were receiving from their supervisors. So I think that was really important information from the Minister, and I appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if the emergency leave that is afforded to public servants is equal to the number of days that they were under mandatory evacuation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've had the privilege of listening to NWT youth speak about mental health, addiction, access to sport, climate change, reclaiming language, family violence, living in care and, the piece that links so much of this, housing.

One fifth of Canadians experiencing homelessness are youth between 13 and 24. More youth experiencing homelessness identify as male, Indigenous, and a significant number identify as 2SLGBTQIPA+. Youth experiencing homelessness are six times more likely to be victimized and nearly every youth that spoke to social development on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 29th, 2023, I will present Bill 90, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 5, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.