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 12)

Mr. Chair, the P1 designation is one that is held by the GNWT, created by the GNWT's processes. I do not have any information that it is a status that applies within the RCMP, and I have no control over the RCMP's hiring process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Sorry, Mr. Chair. Yes, I was entirely focused on the most recent evaluation that was done, of the Integrated Case Management; that's the social return on investment and that is the one that has not been shared. As I have said, my target date is to have it, while it's not quite a commitment, it's at least a target, to have it by the end of the current sitting of the Assembly. The older one, from roughly 2017, Mr. Chair, ought to have been previously shared, and if it wasn't a tabled document, then I will confirm and we can make sure that it is. I will look into whether there was any restriction...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are currently within the North Slave Correctional Facility eight individuals, four sentenced and four on remand, who are classified as being Nunavut prisoners. As far as it being a choice necessarily, Mr. Chair, it involves classification that is done by correctional officials, so just to be clear, it's not necessarily a choice either of the Department of Justice or of the individuals, but it depends on a variety of factors. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I'm taking the Members' points, both of them, that, indeed, we will need to work with my colleague in the Department of Lands to ensure this resourcing, while, again, we want to demonstrate ourselves to be proactive and not responsive to the program so that we're not simply coming back later and asking for more funding to do things that we should have predicted better, but I hear the Members and I hear the committee that we will have to work with Lands and with my colleague to ensure that the resources we are seeking here are, in fact, what we need to achieve the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Madam Speaker, yes. Thank you. It's comparable insofar as the government does not pay property taxes the same way a private resident or private industry would. It is a way of compensating municipalities for the use of those properties. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would love to see integrated case management rolled out everywhere. I am a tremendous supporter of this program. Realistically, it is not going to be within the budget that there currently is to establish new offices with these kinds of services in different communities. It's not just a question of the individual human being, but of a support team. Within the integrated case management office and services, there is a certain level of capacity and knowledge that's been built up within the team that exists here. Again, it wouldn't be quite so simple as to take a person...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Mr. Chair, the jurisdiction of OROGO covers only land. I'm sorry. I'm going to stumble over this a little bit. I don't have it correctly. Sorry, no. It does not cover the federal areas or the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, and it only covers the land. It's not necessarily covering all of the regions that the Member from Nunakput would necessarily be referencing. It also doesn't cover one of the carve-out regions right in the area of Norman Wells, so it doesn't cover all of the Northwest Territories. That said, I am conscious of what the Member is saying, that, even without covering some of the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Mr. Chair, I will commit to looking back with our partner, the John Howard Society, who is delivering the program to confirm exactly what efforts they might be making. I can also confirm for the Member that there is a new group now at the North Slave Correctional Facility that is offering this program, and so, to that extent, it would be offered within the program and be part of the package of available programming for individuals who are completing their sentence at that facility. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Mr. Chair, I am assured that we can do that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This was an opportunity or an attempt by the Department of Justice, rather than to be reactive to something happening within the government, to be proactive and to be prepared so that, when the roll-out of this program came through Lands, the Department of Justice would be there to support them. I take the Member's point, though, and I'll ensure that I work with my colleague from Lands so that resources are adequate to the program as it evolves. Thank you, Mr. Chair.