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, I am happy to report that the Northwest Territories has negotiated the full reinstatement of its nominee program.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the mandate agreement that was issued in collaboration with the Aurora College board of governors earlier this year, there is a timeline associated with it, in the back of it, that shows all of our milestones that we intend to reach, and we are on task to reaching them together. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking me to create something that already exists. These meetings are already happening. These collaborations are already happening. I'm already working with industry to learn from them and also to collaborate and carry our voices forward together. As Cabinet, we work very closely with Council of Leaders, and those conversations about industry are then carried forward to the federal government and to other key stakeholders together as a team. So these conversations are already happening. This work is already happening. So I'm saying great idea...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is working very closely with the Department of Infrastructure on this. This is certainly out of ECE's wheelhouse but safety is always, you know, a top of mind item for the Government of the Northwest Territories, and I can certainly follow up with the Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, short answer, yes. Absolutely, this is a key focus of mine, it's a key focus of my colleagues, is making sure that we can get this piece of legislation done. I can also say that through Council of Leaders and the working groups that we are -- or sorry, the time that we spend with Indigenous leadership in this territory. The economy is incredibly important to everyone that is at the table, and we're hearing that from Indigenous governments as well. We're not travelling alone as Cabinet in these conversations. We're travelling alongside Indigenous leadership...
Absolutely, Mr. Speaker, I want more exploration in the territory. I think our biggest wins in speaking to Chamber of Mines, in speaking to proponents, in speaking to industry leaders in the territory, our biggest wins is to get on infrastructure projects that should have been completed decades ago. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member bringing up the Mineral Resources Act regulations in the House today. The technical working group has been working hard in unison and collaboratively with Indigenous governments, and that is the most important part of this work, is that it's done collaboratively, and I'm happy to say that the policy intentions document is going out for engagement this fall. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, we have $1.5 million in our mineral incentive policy program that provides funding to people who are, for example, doing exploration in the territory and working to advance projects. Typically, in an annual year, we see some of the funding for the MIP program actually return to the territory if people are unable to use it. So events in the territory like forest fires can actually have an impact on whether or not the proponents can use the full amount. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So settlement services in the Northwest Territories are funded by the federal government. This was a key topic of conversation at our meeting in Toronto, and I will continue to pursue increases in settlement services for the territory. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, in addition to the workforce development programs that I just spoke of that I would be very happy to provide the Member with. We also have upgrading programs directly in our high schools. There's the adult learning basic education that's now been taken online to make sure students in every community have access to it. That's through Aurora College. We also have alternative high schools in the territory where people can do modularized learning. I know the House has heard me speak about Phoenix School before. There's also Sunrise Institution up...
