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 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate creative solutions. So I certainly can say as I, you know, indicated or implied in my last response, the Member for the Sahtu, myself, and other Members of Cabinet met with federal officials last week in Ottawa to address this very issue. Multiple departments were represented from the federal government, putting to them that we're going to need some supports that given this crisis, the impact that it's having across government, given the impacts of low water across government on a number of fronts, we are stretched. But we've put this...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to have an opportunity to recognize Gayla Thunstrom. She is the UNW president and also a resident of Yellowknife South.

Mr. Speaker, before I'm done, I happen to have three pages also with us this week. Aima Tabbaa, Olivia Costache, Elizabeth Stewart. thank you very much for your help and service this week in the House.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, not everyone might be watching would have seen although they would have heard the vote. I do want to note and make the point that Cabinet although didn't speak initially to the motion did make a choice together that we would stand and support having this motion brought to the floor. We wanted to have this opportunity for everyone, including Members on this side of the House, with me, as an opportunity to speak to voice the recognition of what is happening in Norman Wells.

Mr. Speaker, everyone is voicing support for Norman Wells. I hope there's absolutely no...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the good news here is that all of the largest GNWT assets in Norman Wells actually are already equipped with biomass heating systems. This is five systems over a thousand kilowatt hours are all operated through a pellets system. And the benefit of that, again, is that it creates the local supply demand -- or rather it creates local demand which then encourages a supply chain and a bit of an economy of scale in that regard. So with respect to whether or not there can be changes also brought in to smaller units, smaller assets, I'll certainly go back and see...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. There is work happening in this space and one of the ways that we support the supply chains is by actually being one of the larger consumers of biomass products and wood pellet products. For instance, about 32 percent of all GNWT heating load is right now met with biomass which does make us a fairly big player in terms of supporting the local resources that there may be in order to have a supply of wood pellets happening on a regular basis, and this may well be an opportunity for those in the Sahtu, where the almost $2...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this really is a cultural issue and one that we want to ensure -- I mean, I've certainly spoken in the House many times about having an inclusive and a diverse workplace but having one that also can manage change, lead change, thrive in change, that too is workplace culture. I certainly acknowledge that. Again, I know there's a lot of public servants who are watching and who always watch, and wanting to encourage them to have those skills and to seek out those opportunities. The GNWT's Aurora -- or sorry, leadership development program does include elements...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are some efforts underway already. For instance, in terms of the GNWT's core competencies, which is what we use to evaluate the employees that we have in our workforce, we do have within that action management as being one of those core competencies and obviously associated training to try to support that, which isn't to say, Mr. Speaker, that more emphasis and highlighting can't be done, and so I appreciate the opportunity today to do that here on the floor. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And that certainly flows well. I'd like to say that we are -- I'm cognizant of us saying we're working on something and us committing to finding a solution doesn't fill the fuel tank of anyone in the Sahtu this week. I'm conscious of that, Mr. Speaker. I believe we are. As I've said, I've spoken with Imperial Oil myself and Minister Cleveland just this morning. We've spoken with Members in the federal public service. A variety of departments are involved. We have follow-ups happening at our department levels. So I do believe that we are pushing this issue. It came upon...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first, I do want to acknowledge we've had a lot of conversations, and I'm grateful for the MLA from the Sahtu. He is in our ears all the time, and it brings the reality of the people on the ground to what can sometimes seem far away when you're not in the moment of it, brought that voice to Ottawa last week as well. And I'm grateful that he was there to do that.

Mr. Speaker, the fuel resupply to the Sahtu is through Imperial Oil. The fuel services division supplies the other Sahtu communities. So figuring out exactly whether we use public dollars to...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the honourable Member for Hay River North, Minister of Justice, will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to host the federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers of Justice meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I also wish to advise the House that the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes will be absent from the House today and tomorrow in order to attend to a personal matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.