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.
Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment
Statements in Debates
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)
No. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I appreciate that, and I'll stop there. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I promise not to discuss the RCMP. My first question is in regard to victim services, and I am just wondering: there was a report that was published in 2020, the victim services program evaluation, and as part of that there were recommendations to the GNWT, many of which requested items that would cost money, one of which was to allocate additional resources for travel to outreach for communities. I am noting that travel has gone down by about half, so is there a costed plan associated with the victim services program evaluation available from the Department...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just have one more question. The Minister did just say that the RCMP and the GNWT work together to establish a business case. I am wondering if the Minister can briefly speak to, given that we contribute 70 percent, what are the boundaries within the RCMP and the GNWT that the GNWT is able to kind of reach into the operations of the RCMP? I am wondering if the Minister can speak to that a little bit. Thank you.
Like I said, time is money. If somebody is trying to add something under either their Business Incentive Policy or trying to add something under the northern manufacturing policy, those timelines don't match up with a lot of our procurement timelines. If somebody is trying to do that, and it's taking two months, four to six weeks, potentially, for them to add that under, they are missing out on tenders. Every week, either I am notified about somebody missing out on a tender, or I am copied an issue to do with procurement policy, every week within my role representing the people of Kam Lake...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Under the same line item of Territorial Police Services Agreement, I notice that there is about a $400,000 increase between last year and this year. I am wondering what the people of the Northwest Territories get for that. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Procurement in the Northwest Territories is very important. It is something we hear about lots in this House and something we are hearing about lots in our meetings, as well. In the interest of that, I am wondering if the Minister can tell us if the northern manufacturing policy is within the scope of the procurement review that is happening within ITI. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. How many vacancies are currently in the Legal Aid Commission? Thank you.
I had the luxury of listening to one of my colleagues, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, earlier today, and he had a quote that actually works quite well in this moment in time: "This policy is actively contributing to the social and economic disparities of Northerners, and the harm currently outweighs the good." I appreciate the Minister's desire for consistency. I believe that this policy has run its course, and it's time to get rid of it. I am asking the Minister, in the interest of creating safe spaces for Northerners and ensuring that all Northerners have access to housing and returning...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 65)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. One of the things that we hear about quite often is that people who are released from different correctional facilities have a hard time finding stable housing on the other side of that, and I'm wondering if there is a budget line item in here for stable transitional housing of any sort for people, once they finish their term within any correctional facility within the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, employment opportunities, programs and services, and education and training are concentrated in regional centres in Yellowknife. In short, we are an economically and socially uneven territory. To access healthcare, social supports, training, education, and employment opportunities or to flee living arrangements that risk safety or sobriety or to move home to reconnect with family, we first ask Northerners to commit to homelessness. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation community residency policy requires people to live in a community for varying lengths of time up to one...
