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, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my first set of questions, if we get through a couple, are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
On October 20th, the department issued a communique identifying renewed plans for the youth advisory committee. I'm wondering if the Minister can tell the House how the department plans to use this committee to provide agency to NWT youth? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker,
WHEREAS there has been an alarming number of suicides in the Northwest Territories in 2022;
AND WHEREAS Tabled Document 64919(2), the Office of the Chief Coroner 20212022 Early Release of Suicide Data Report, raised concerns about the 18 suicides so far in 2022;
AND WHEREAS the Office of the Chief Coroner did not wait until the end of the calendar year to provide data on suicide in the territory in order to elicit a territorial government response now;
AND WHEREAS the majority of those deaths by suicide is impacting youth and young adults in...
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in a perfect world we would have 30 Indigenous students in the nursing program, or 30 Indigenous and northern students in the nursing program at Aurora College. So the budget ideally would allow us to max out the 30. So the budget really, in theory, is already there. So all I'm asking for is that we ensure that the Aurora College nursing program bursaries are fully subscribed every year to ensure that we have the biggest capacity of nurses, because as soon as we can say hey, we'll educate you in exchange for service, we have a guaranteed eight...
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are again for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
I questioned the Minister during this sitting in regards to bursaries for students who want to partake in the Aurora College nursing program, and I was happy to learn and to hear that Indigenous students and northern students are both open to access bursary programs for the Aurora College nursing program. So I'm wondering, though, if the Minister will allow southern students to access northern nursing bursaries to fill the remaining spots in the Aurora College nursing program to...
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, one of the things that Health and Social Services introduced this year from headquarters are mental health subscription boxes. But these boxes, which I believe in September the theme of the box was suicide prevention, these boxes are not made available to people in healthcare centres or in hospitals. And so I'm wondering if that is a change that the Minister is willing to make? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, other the last few years, nurses have shared the impact of unsupported work environments and critical staffing shortages on their morale and incentive to continue working in the North. And when our healthcare workers suffer, our residents suffer. Residents experience decline in healthcare, long wait lists, and reduced program availability, which all have direct negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of residents. This is felt especially by those people who live in remote and small communities who already receive inequitable healthcare.
Environmental liabilities represent the costs required to remediate contaminated sites for which the GNWT is responsible.
The 20202021 public accounts reported 277 contaminated sites with a total liability of $68 million. This liability is further broken down according to seven types of sites, such as "abandoned mines" and "landfills."
For years, committee has advocated for more transparency on the GNWT's contaminated sites. In 2018, committee recommended14 that the GNWT develop an online inventory modeled on the federal government's Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 127)
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 72319(2), 20232024 Capital Estimates Finance; Committee Report 3419(2), Report on the Review of the 20202021 Annual Report of the Ombud; Bill 58, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act; and Bill 59, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscite Act. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I need to start by apologizing to the interpreters for speaking a little fast during questions today; my apologies to everybody.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, October 31st, 2022, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to establish a suicide prevention fund of $250,000 in each region and is expedited directly to communities in crisis without application.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given the participation of the Native Women's Association in the inquiry, was input received from the Native Women's Association or from Indigenous governments? Thank you.
