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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were some delays in getting this program back up and running to the caliber or quality that we were hoping for. I am pleased to say that we partnered with Aurora College and that there is now the leadership development program. It started just this month. Again, pleased to also say it is fully subscribed for level one which is currently running. Level two starts in January of 2025, and that will continue until August 2025. I don't know where that is at in terms of if it's interest level but, again, very happy to see that the first round is fully subscribed. Thank...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, Mr. Chair, first, I guess I misunderstood. So the priority -- the primary criteria rating has been done here. It did get a score B -- B, A, A, and A which is for direct impacts, severity of impacts, and urgency mitigation. Sorry, I apologize. When the project was initially began and the funding was secured from the federal government to get to the regulatory proceedings, back then there was not this rigor. It is going through that process now. But it was just the idea of a comparison when we started, it wouldn't have had that because that wasn't being applied the way...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, let me see if -- oh, you know what, somebody has it in front of them. May I direct it to assistant deputy minister MacKay.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, the red tape reduction working group really was meant to be focused on when a business or an individual runs into an issue and says, you know, I'm unable to get a license in an orderly fashion, I have to pay -- go to multiple departments in order to do something, I, you know, sought permissions or an opportunity, I can't get it done. This was an opportunity to say okay look, take that to the working group. They will cross those different departmental lines. Sometimes it's divisions within a department and they will -- they'll action that. But other...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the totality of this, of what is planned to do all of the planning, is a $40 million project. That is cost shared 75/25 federal to GNWT. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, I'm glad to acknowledge the one item there that -- under asset management that is looking for a replacement. I would note there is quite a bit of work actually happening in this space of improving our fuel services in terms of the storage and the access. In fact, it's a pretty significant overhaul. Mr. Chair, it does happen to fall under programs and services section, so I certainly can speak to it now but -- or could come back to when we hit that section. I'm in the Chair's hands.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the red tape reduction working group was always set up to be an opportunity and a repository where anyone can direct them to an issue of red tape. So there's an email set up. There's an opportunity, @email, it's quite simple. They receive information about people who are running into, frankly, exactly the types of situations the Member mentioned earlier and then they will action them and they will investigate them and can coordinate across departments to find solutions. And I can say it actually hasn't been as fruitful as I would think it should...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I hope I don't just have 40 seconds. That's a big one. Mr. Chair, at this point these three projects do have federal funding to get them to that point where there's an understanding that -- you know, the environmental assessment work wouldn't necessarily become stale if it doesn't happen to move forward with funding in the immediate year after. It goes through still a permitting process. And even with the permits in hand, I can think of a mining project here in the territory that's been sitting fully permitted ready to go trying to get funding sorted. They are not -- it...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I mean, that response is probably not dissimilar for highway roadways as well as any other project that goes through the capital planning process. And so, for instance, obviously there's a ranking system that we would go through in terms of understanding what kind of issues is at heart. For instance, whether it's protection of people or protection of assets. And there's a secondary criteria that you go through. The projects all go through also whether or not there should be any MACA or economic considerations where you would get into, you know, understanding...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to provide an update on the Mackenzie Valley Highway project, an ambitious initiative that reflects our continued commitment to fostering sustainable development in the North.

The Mackenzie Valley Highway project dates back several decades, with discussions starting as early as the 1970s. Over the years, extensive planning and consultation have taken place to ensure that this project respects the land and the communities it will serve. Earlier this year, we strengthened our partnership with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, or SSI, by signing an amended and...