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.
Mr. Speaker, the third set of questions is for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. According to the Northwest Territories Bureau of Statistics, 42.7 percent of Northwest Territories homes are in need of at least one major repair, and Government of the Northwest Territories major home repair funding programs require applicant homeowners to have homeowners' insurance, but, because of the remote location and limited services available in most northern communities, residents do not qualify for homeowners' insurance.
A standing barrier to providing virtual care is the barrier created by differential licensing requirements which the Minister touched on, and there's different requirements straight across Canada. What work is being done to simplify the registration and licensor processes to enable qualified physicians or healthcare providers to provide virtual care across provincial and territorial boundaries?
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In March of this year, I asked the then-Minister of Health and Social Services about virtual care in the Northwest Territories. Since then, the GNWT has put together a three-phased approach to virtual care to address healthcare needs in the face of a global pandemic. In regards to the advances that were made through the COVID-19 pandemic as far as virtual care is concerned, I would like to see the changes and advances that were made continue their momentum. I'm wondering: for phase two, the virtual care initiative identified a need to create secure messaging...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things we hear quite often in this House and also within committee work is the need for cultural sensitivity straight across the North in all the work that we do. I'm wondering: how is the GNWT working to ensure that the cultural, technological, and language needs of all NWT residents are being met through virtual care?
Mr. Speaker, I am standing in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. It is a beautiful building whose walls tell stories of time, place, and people. This building connects culture, shared history, potential for tomorrow, and, Mr. Speaker, it connects us to one another. I should feel great pride to be standing here today representing the people of Kam Lake, but today I am frustrated, sad, and somewhat embarrassed.
Mr. Speaker, passion is okay. Disagreeing is okay. Confrontation makes us uncomfortable, but confrontation can create change. We all made commitments to challenge the...
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the collaborative response from both the Premier and the Minister of Justice on that winner. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we spoke in the House about if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. My last question for the Premier today in regard to domestic and inter-partner violence is: would the Premier commit to creating a GNWT action plan to address domestic violence and inter-partner violation throughout the life of this Assembly? Thank you.
I appreciate that Cabinet sat down and had this conversation and came up with a response. Thank you to them for that. What I would like to know from the Honourable Premier is if she would commit to creating a meaningful domestic and inter-partner violence prevention awareness campaign during the life of this Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've heard the class of 2020 referred to as the "Chosen Ones." We have all seen the cartoon that takes us month by month through 2020, including threats of World War III, murder hornets, and the very real and world-changing COVID-19. I'm not sure what it means to be a "Chosen One" in the wake of the craziness that has been 2020 so far, but I do know this: the graduates of 2020 have had to overcome some significant hurdles to complete their schooling during the upheaval of a pandemic.
Throughout history, there have always been events of significant change that have marked...
