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, it has not been lost on me that, had this pandemic occurred a year ago, I would have been amongst those northern business owners facing little option for financial support and the threat of closing my business.
Being a business owner in the North is a challenge. In the wake of this pandemic, our small-to-medium business owners are struggling to keep staff on payroll while incurring close to no billable hours. The federal Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy does not subsidize related employees. This means that, in the North, where so many of us are family, many northern businesses don't...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. On March 20th, the GNWT announced a $13.2 million economic relief package for NWT businesses. This plan committed the GNWT to creating a business advisory council. This council has turned into a bit of a hurry-and-wait exercise for businesses that really want an opportunity to provide some feedback. Will the Minister make a commitment that the membership, meeting schedule, and terms of reference of the business advisory council be made public during this sitting? Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Should this be made public, which I hope it will be, is there an appeal process that the department has thought about, for if members of the business community would like to be able to be more readily involved or would like to be able to provide feedback to the terms of reference? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 21)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just to confirm, both of those positions were added to headquarters? Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 21)
Thank you, Madam Chair. The last piece that I want to be able to bridge in there is -- actually, I am going to save that question. I am good. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 21)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just in speaking with businesses from my constituency, I understand that sometimes a lot of contracts are, yes, awarded to northern businesses, but the employment doesn't necessarily stick behind. Do you guys have a breakdown of, even though 87 percent of contracts went to northern businesses, how much of the dollars or employment actually stayed in the North for that percentage? Thank you.
I'd like to start off first by congratulating the GNWT on its Emerging Wisely document. It was well-prepared and well-communicated to the public. The document sets out for residents what they need to do to move from the lockdown phase, and to loosening of restrictions, and being able to interact again with their loved ones. I believe that, to accompany this document, we need an economic recovery plan that identifies the financial supports and programs the GNWT intends to put in place to combat COVID-19, or as businesses attempt to combat COVID-19. My question for the Premier is: what does she...
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful to Doctors Kandola and Cook and their teams, who have worked tirelessly to keep Northerners safe, but the last 10 weeks have taken their toll. My constituents are suffering. Businesses were told to closed, consumers asked to stop consuming, and people were required to distance themselves.
I am grateful for the messaging urging people to stay home, stay connected, and that we are all in this together. However, while we are all in the same storm, we are not in the same boat. Some have faced this pandemic alone. Some have struggled to provide for their families through...
