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 almost forgot to mention happy birthday to the Minister of Housing today. My next questions are not for her. They are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
My first question, Mr. Speaker, is the GNWT's response to the OAG's education audit contained an action item of to develop greater integration of services for children and youth in the education system through expanding regional capacity. This action item is currently on hold. What concerns me is the deliverables of this action item were to explore regional approaches to...
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, yesterday November 2nd was World Fertility Day. Today I wish to table the following document: A Letter from Fertility Matters. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, Recommendation No. 9 of the Report of the Review of the 2022 Audit of Addictions, Prevention and Recovery Services that was tabled by the Standing Committee on Government Operations recommended that the Department of Health and Social Services and the health and social services authorities set up a distinct method for frontline staff to identify barriers to care and cultural safety or propose better practices and policies on an ongoing basis and provide a timeline for implementation.
So will the Minister responsible for integrated service...
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister responsible for integrated service delivery, the Minister of Justice. The GNWT committed to integrated service delivery as a wholeofgovernment approach at the onset of the government. Is shifting the entire system of the GNWT, the wholeofgovernment integrated service delivery, still within the short or longterm focus of the government? Thank you.
WHEREAS the consensus government process convention on priority setting and reporting calls for the establishment of a special committee on transition matters;
AND WHEREAS transition to a new Assembly is an appropriate time for reporting on matters of ongoing action, discussion, and consideration;
AND WHEREAS Members of the 20th Assembly may wish to consider how to build on the direction and deliberations of the 19th Legislative Assembly;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that pursuant to Rule 9.2(8), the...
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I must admit that I do find this very frustrating. It's something that we as Members have been talking about on both sides of the House for the life of this Assembly, but it doesn't seem to be something that really we can move the bar on. And it's very frustrating given how reliant our constituents are on more than one service in order to be able to address their basic needs of life.
So in March of this year, Madam Speaker, the Minister indicated that before income assistance and Housing NWT could provide integrated service delivery that they...
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I completely agree with the Minister that it needs to be a priority and that it stands to not only better serve Northerners, but it stands to actually save the government quite a bit of money on their bottom line every year.
Earlier this year, the Minister spoke about the challenges associated with privacy laws when trying to provide residents with a multidepartmental approach to service delivery. How is the GNWT addressing this and on what timeline? Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, health system researchers identify two potential ways to reduce health system costs prevention through public health education and ensuring people take their medication. When I was a university student, our high school English teacher and his wife were sent to Edmonton where their baby was born premature. I went up to U of A Hospital where they sat teary eyed waiting for their tiny baby to finish her first surgery. Their baby Katie survived her surgery, persevered through childhood, set territorial records at this year's Canada Summer Games, and is...
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, absolutely that residents have asked for all of that. I guess it comes down to choices because I've also seen some things that I would think that are not necessary expenses for the Department of Health and Social Services, which I won't get into. But I do think it comes down to choices, and I think that there are ways that we can spend money smarter. So my next question is how is NTHSSA working with regional health authorities to reduce the trend in this growing deficit? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Finance might want to review their website then, because it does clearly state on the website that it is for residential lease arrears.
But my last question for the Minister of Housing is if this program doesn't apply to Housing NWT itself, to be able to use Property Tax Arrears Program to pay off arrears, what other process is available to Housing NWT to forgive public housing arrears? Thank you.
