Caroline Wawzonek

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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am also quite excited about this. It is very much an internal committee though, so I'm going to turn that over to the deputy minister, please.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With respect to the regional projects, Mr. Chair, these are -- the changes that you're seeing to the 2025-2026 Main Estimates in particular is simply with respect to adjustments due to the collective agreement. There's -- yeah, that's for 20 -- between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, the increases is due exclusively to collective agreement changes. Thank you.

Oh, and sorry, and again with respect to the staff employed in the Tlicho region, Mr. Chair, under regional operations we have nine full-time equivalent staff in the Tlicho region. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in sort of an unusual approach, perhaps, the federal government is -- they issue invitation letters. So anyone who is eligible does receive, in the mail, a letter from ISED, I-S-E-D. That's the industry, science economic development. So people do need to be watching their mail for these letters. Those letters were going out over the fall and into December of last year. If someone thinks they are eligible, so if they fall into one of those categories, there is a process. It's on ISED's website about what to do if you lose your letter. And so, Mr. Speaker, I...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Mr. Chair, this is a program that is administered by the Arctic Energy Alliance. With respect to its individualized functioning at that stage, I'm not well placed necessarily to describe how AEA administers it. I'm happy to commit to getting that detail. We provide this fund, and I know there would be some expectations surrounding its use but, again, I'll have to make a commitment to bring that back here. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Yes, please, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair, let me see if the deputy minister wants to take this and if not, we might -- let's send this to Ms. Burt, please.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the honourable Member for Hay River North, the Premier, will be absent from the House today due to illness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, I mean, as a first point of call, I would certainly suggest that this division of the department is certainly one to speak to. I would also suggest the NT Energy folks who are the sort of strategic branch of NTPC is also a good point of call. As for any particular funding, sort of a funding pot, if I may, I might turn it to Amy Burt and see if she can point us to something quickly and if not, we'll take it under a commitment. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had a very lovely visit in Fort Resolution last year when I was there, so -- and I can't make commitments obviously for the Premier or his schedule. I know I've already got a visit myself planned in April but certainly happy to see -- Fort Resolution is not that hard for us to get to. If we can work together and find a date in April, I'm happy to try. And if I can't, it may well be that the Premier's able to. But, again -- so let's try and see if we can make some dates work. I know that the housing Minister's nodding as I'm speaking, so at the very least...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So that was a one-time contribution because of the losses that arose from having a low water season. Now, we are planning this year around low water from the perspective of our fuel services division and ensuring that we bring a full 100 percent value of fuel into those communities that would have otherwise depended upon reservicing, certainly in the Sahtu, from having the barges on the anticipation that we may face, again, a low water season. The High Arctic communities are not expected at this point to require anything other than barging and so in that sense, we would...