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 59)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't know if I have that number exactly. This certainly -- I mean, it's this -- this has been a long-term and longstanding problem back in -- I want to say 2012, thereabouts. It used to be something that was led by the Canadian Coast Guard. They have walked away from being the lead on this and that has left the GNWT picking up this -- the need for maintaining the harbour. The harbour restoration, really the term restoration speaks to the fact that there -- it's pretty, you know, standard and expected, really, to have to maintain the harbour and to do some...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the energy systems of the Northwest Territories are in dire need of significant nation scale investment. We need the federal government to be paying attention to the situation we find ourselves in. Residents across this territory are facing not only the high cost that they currently pay. That is also significantly subsidized by the GNWT just to keep the power bills of where they are.

Mr. Speaker, we are not alone. The Yukon right now is proposing a 34 percent increase to their power bills. Nunavut pays an even larger subsidy than we do on their power bills...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there is quite a bit happening in this space right now in terms of timing. So there is the Rockhill site that is empty right now but that there's been some work that's underway with Housing NWT and the NGO community to see that it gets turned into a more permanent facility. So there is that. And I do want to make sure that that is clear. And that is not necessarily related here to what this money is for. That certainly is other work that's happening. There is also the general -- not general, but broader work happening over at EIA with respect to consolidated...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in response to the first series of questions, this is not a project where there is, to my recollection, a firm budget that's been provided publicly, and this is not the place to be doing that. But, Mr. Speaker, with respect to timelines, the second question -- of the second question, Mr. Speaker, we are still working towards having the system online for 2033. Quite a lot of things do have to fall into place. First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, there are legacy issues surrounding the original Taltson Dam that date back to the 1960s and '70s, and that...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This one item here is just with respect or revises as a respect -- excuse me, arises from the budget deliberations that we concluded in the last session. So this was a $100,000 commitment that was made on the floor as part of our discussions around what would be required for the operations budget to pass. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Sheila Laity. She is a registered nurse and nurse practitioner, and resident of Yellowknife South, and also a long-term advocate for her profession. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This refers to section 11 of the federal Species at Risk Act, and this funding is going to support entering into the implementation of a conservation agreement with any government in Canada, organization, or benefit to support a species of risk. This funding will help ensure that we as the GNWT are fulfilling obligations under a two-year conservation agreement, and the project proposed here is titled the Conservation of Boreal Caribou in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Happy to do so, Mr. Chair. On my left, Bill MacKay, deputy minister of finance. And on my right, Mandi Bolstad, the deputy secretary to the financial management board.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, I do.

Mr. Chair, I am here to present Tabled Document 341-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization) No. 1, 2025-2026. This document proposes a total appropriation increase of $47.15 million, $38.5 million of which will be offset by revenues from the Government of Canada and various provincial governments.

Notable items supported by federal funding include:

$20.6 million to support health and social services cost share agreements, including $9.2 million for First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care and $8 million for Northern...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 59)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Very happy to say we also have Yellowknife South representation in the House here. There are quite a number of health care professionals from this riding, and with us today is Keela Gould and, again, if I missed anyone because there are so many, I would welcome them to the House as well. Thank you.