Caroline Wawzonek

Députée de Yellowknife Sud

Circonscription électorale de Yellowknife Sud 

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

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
Mobile
Ministre

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do have some opening remarks. I am here to present Bill 10, Temporary Variation of Statutory Time Periods (COVID-19 Pandemic Measures) Act. This bill authorizes the Commissioner and Executive Council to make orders to be registered as regulations that would result in the temporary variation of a date, deadline, or time period set out in the act.

We have heard, during the course of this sitting, that, in March, the Government of the Northwest Territories had to mobilize quickly to take measures required to respond to the immediate requirements of the COVID-19 pandemic...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Sahtu, that Bill 10, Temporary Variation of Statutory Time Periods (COVID-19 Pandemic Measures) Act, be read for the second time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021 be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member from Nahendeh, that Bill 9, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021"; "Statistics Act Annual Report 2019-2020"; and "Final Report SROI: Integrated Case Management, February 2020." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. There is one thing I would note is that this program is for individuals who work at least 30 hours per week. There are likely some individuals who are making less than this, who are at least closer to the minimum wage. A bit of conjecture here but they wouldn't qualify for this program if they're not working 30 hours a week. I would be cautious in assuming that this program is necessarily covering everyone who is making less than $18 per hour and that those numbers might actually be quite different. We certainly do have some statistics, labour market statistics, on who...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking over at the Minister of ECE, if we could go to him, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Madam Chair, this $280,000 specifically is entirely GNWT funded. That certainly isn't to say that there is not funding that is already existing within the Health and Social Services system for mental health that is from the federal government. I don't know that I would have all of that here available in front of me, but I can certainly convey to the Minister of Health and Social Services that we might want a bit more information on that exact issue. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

The opportunity for review and the opportunity for change certainly comes with risks. I can certainly say that it is my intention to look at that policy and move it forward to determine if a review is really in the best interests and achieves the goals that we have for it. Where I am going with that is that it's figuring out what we want to get out of the Affirmative Action Policy that we are not getting. What is it that we are not getting that we would like to see changed?

I suppose, in a sense, that would be a review, Mr. Speaker, but as far as that will look like, where it will go, and what...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. The first round of funding was really directed and really driven at the large airlines that provide scheduled passenger services. We were able to use some flexibility and to receive some flexibility so that we could direct it at airlines more across the Northwest Territories, more broadly than just one or two, which is certainly beneficial and there is a breakdown that was provided to five different airlines. Now, negotiations have continued with Transport Canada regularly. There have been regular communications between the Department of Finance and, I believe, the...