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 Chair. Madam Chair, Bill 40, an Act to Amend the Medical Profession Act, received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on November 26th, 2021, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review on March 28th, 2022. Committee sought and received an extension to our review period.
On May 19th, 2022, the standing committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Health and Social Services and completed its clausebyclause review of the bill. Ten motions were carried by committee and concurred with by the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My next question was related to, hopefully, getting a yes to fill that gap.
Will the Minister be willing to table a solution, then, that she comes up with her department in the House so that everybody knows what's expected of one another and what kind of service they can expect in dangerous situations. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can say that with the residents of the territory that I've had the opportunity to speak with that is not what has happened in their experience following a suicide attempt from a family member or from themselves. And so this is definitely a gap. And so I'm wondering if Health and Social Services tracks suicide attempts, and if they also track the response and the plan of care that is provided to each of those people who are travelling this journey because I will say that that is not the reality of the residents that I've had the opportunity to...
Mr. Speaker, I will be speaking to suicide today. Before I start, I want to give people an opportunity to turn down the volume or remove themselves from the Chamber if they prefer not to listen.
Mr. Speaker, I like numbers because they compel evidencebased decisionmaking, so here are some numbers.
The World Health Organization estimates one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Over 4,000 Canadians die by suicide every year. That's 11 people every day. 70 percent of mental health problems arise during childhood or adolescence, and 75 percent of children with mental disorders do not have...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the saying "perfect is the enemy of good" comes to mind here. And sometimes you got to let something go and let people have a look at it in order to get some feedback and let it fly because right now, as of today, Members in this House have requested the homelessness strategy 65 times since September of 2018 when it was first committed to in the 18th Assembly. And it is getting frustrated at this point, and I understand that it's very important. But if it sits in Housing NWT, it will never get actioned. And so I guess I'm asking the Minister now...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, across Canada unique barriers exist for 2SLGBTQIAPPA+ youth accessing shelter systems. One in three transgender individuals are rejected from shelters for their gender identities and gender expression. So was, or is, the Northern Mosaic Network included as a vital stakeholder in drafting this strategy to provide homelessness solutions for our territory? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the auditor general tabled findings on addictions prevention and recovery services. The OAG found that the GNWT did not do enough to provide residents with accessible, coordinated, and culturally safe addictions services including specific reference to aftercare supports.
A previous OAG report on the NWT's child and family services found that substance misuse was a factor that put children at risk in 83 percent of files. The finding is reflected in the accounts of several youth here in Yellowknife. They have shared that though technically they have...
