Députée de Yellowknife Sud

Première ministre adjointe
Ministre des Finances
Ministre responsable de la Société d’énergie des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Ministre responsable de l’infrastructure stratégique, de l’énergie et des chaînes d’approvisionnement

Caroline Wawzonek a été élue pour la première fois à la 19e Assemblée législative en 2019, comme représentante de Yellowknife Sud. Elle a été ministre de la Justice, ministre des Finances, ministre responsable de la condition de la femme, et ministre de l’Industrie, du Tourisme et de l’Investissement. En 2023, Mme Wawzonek a été élue par acclamation à la 20e Assemblée législative et a réintégré le Conseil exécutif en tant que première ministre adjointe, ministre des Finances, ministre de l’Infrastructure et ministre responsable de la Société d’énergie des TNO.

Mme Wawzonek a obtenu un baccalauréat ès arts de l’Université de Calgary en 2000 et un diplôme en droit de la faculté de droit de l’Université de Toronto en 2005. Son parcours universitaire comprend des études de langues en Chine et à Taïwan, ainsi que des stages de droit aux Philippines et en Angleterre. Mme Wawzonek est née à Calgary (Alberta) et habite Yellowknife depuis 2007.

Une fois admise au Barreau des TNO, Mme Wawzonek a mis sur pied sa propre pratique du droit pénal et a plaidé à tous les échelons du système judiciaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, et s’est souvent déplacée dans les collectivités ténoises à cet effet. Elle a ensuite intégré le cabinet d’avocats Dragon Toner, élargissant sa pratique au litige général et au droit administratif jusqu’à ce qu’elle devienne députée de la 19e Assemblée.

Depuis 2007, Mme Wawzonek a assumé de nombreux rôles de leadership au sein de la communauté juridique : elle a notamment été présidente du Barreau des Territoires du Nord-Ouest et présidente de section pour la division des Territoires du Nord-Ouest de l’Association du Barreau canadien, et a participé à divers groupes de travail. Son engagement envers la collectivité l’a amenée à œuvrer dans de multiples organisations de Yellowknife et, en 2017, elle a reçu un prix national soulignant le travail de femmes canadiennes œuvrant dans le domaine du droit.

Mère de deux enfants, Caroline Wawzonek aime courir, faire de la planche à pagaie et passer du temps à l’extérieur.

Committees

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife Sud
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Extension
12177
Vice-premier ministre, Ministère des finances, Ministre de l'Infrastructure, Ministre responsable de la Société d'énergie des Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Mineral Resources Act - Regulation Development Status Report; 20222023 Annual Report Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation; and, 20222023 Interim Financial Statements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Canol Trail is another one that could frankly be a bit of a flagship or it should be a flagship, not a bit of, but should be a flagship in the Northwest Territories. It does have a lot of sections that were still under ownership by the federal government, and there's some concern around overtaking that without doing the kind of proper due diligence to ensure that there's not an excessive amount of remediation that is required. So these ENR is the department that would be the lead in terms of that discussion with the federal government. This capital...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So if I recall, there are estimates and ranges built in to the business case that depend upon what the market may be doing at any one time. I don't, in front of me, have whether it's above or below 11 cents.

Madam Chair, if I might just and I am conscious of time, but if I might just venture, I think if the MOU and steering committee partners can make a decision on the routing and then be able to say here is the project. The challenge we are in is we don't quite have the project and that's where the planning of the money that's being requested is to get to that point...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Not strictly in my capital books but I can say that my understanding last I heard was that the boat in question, or whatever it is in question, had, in fact, been ticketed and that, you know, obviously, enforcement measures do need to then be taken and those enforcement measures can be, I believe, up to and including removing forcibly. That is some crossjurisdictional but I can follow up again with the Member directly. That certainly is not lost on me the challenges that vessel was creating. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I now have the pleasure of introducing Gary Brennan. He is the assistant deputy minister for regional operations for infrastructure.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. This, I believe, arises because of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Communities fund, and that is where we have seen a significant increase in, first, the revised and then in the revised estimates for 20232024. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are protocols within a consensus government. One of them is that when we are releasing new information like this provided by government that it goes to one of the standing committees first. So until I can release it to standing committee, it's very difficult and would not be appropriate for me to stand in the House and make the announcement here. Otherwise, I would love to do it, Mr. Speaker, but I'm afraid the Members are going to simply have to look at their inbox and wait for the letter to come pursuant to the rules and the procedures that we all...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there was money at one point notionally allocated for pullouts along the InuvikTuk Highway. Madam Chair, the challenge that we've run into is identifying the appropriate location and getting the hunters and trappers associations from the regions to, in fact, agree on a location, along with elders. Last I know there was some work and some progress made towards bringing those parties together. I would like nothing more than to see what really is a tourism flagship, or could and should be a tourism flagship, have those kinds of facilities.

Without them, it's...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, that is, I think, probably the critical decision that needs to be made at the steering committee. And so, again, I suspect the Member knows, but for the public, there's a steering committee that is composed of the signatories to the original MOU, aside from the Salt River, who at the present moment have opted to not participate although are certainly welcome back, and that the steering committee is composed as the leadership and then the working group is composed of the officers or officials from GNWT as well along with those other governments. And that...