Caroline Wawzonek

Member Yellowknife South

Deputy Premier
Minister of Finance
Minister of Infrastructure
Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation

Caroline Wawzonek was first elected to the 19th Legislative Assembly in 2019 as the Member for Yellowknife South. Ms. Wawzonek served as Minister of Justice,  Minster of Finance, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. In 2023, Ms. Wawzonek was acclaimed to the 20th Legislative Assembly and returned to Executive Council as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister Responsible for the NWT Power Corporation.
 
Ms. Wawzonek holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary (2000) and a law degree from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (2005). Her academic journey included language studies in China and Taiwan, as well as legal internships in the Philippines and England. Born in Calgary, AB, she has called Yellowknife home since 2007.
 
After establishing her criminal law practice post-admission to the Law Society of the NWT, Ms. Wawzonek appeared in all levels of NWT courts and engaged in circuit court travel. She later joined Dragon Toner, expanding her practice to general litigation and administrative law until becoming a member of the 19th Assembly.
 
Since 2007, she has taken on leadership roles in the legal community, including the presidency of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories (LSNT), section chair for the Canadian Bar Association Northwest Territories Branch (CBA-NT), and committee membership in various working groups. Her community involvement extends to appointments in multiple Yellowknife organizations, and she received a national award in 2017 for her contributions to Canadian Women in Law.
 
Ms. Wawzonek, a mother of two, enjoys running, paddleboarding, and time outdoors.
 

Committees

Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
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Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, that's certainly not my intention. It may happen to be an election year coming up but at the present time that's still quite far away. And the way that the budget cycle works, the budget that we're preparing now is based on main estimates process where based on a business planning process that started back in June. Again, this is sort of full circle. The reason we do budget dialogues in the spring and summer is because that's when departments are actually preparing their materials going into the next year. And while I certainly have said in the context...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. That works out quite well, because I get to now continue what I wasn't going to say earlier. But let me give a few of the comments that I have on that one.

Well, with respect to the notion that we are about to hit the fiscal or the debt ceiling, Madam Speaker, that has been a spectre over many a fine government. That is no longer the spectre because of the changes we've introduced to the capital planning process. By reducing the size of the capital plan to be more right sized, we are not running up against our debt ceiling. We've not had to take on as great a borrowing...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I can certainly commit that the Department of Finance, which is where any loans or other matters that are forgiven, for example, student financial assistance, anything of that nature that is going to be forgiven as an obligation or debt owed to the government, does come through the comptroller general's office, and I will see that that office does connect in with Housing NWT to ensure that if there are programs underutilized or ways that we can support that department, that office, that we will do so. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 69, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023, be read for a third time. And Madam Speaker, I would request a recorded vote.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the property tax arrears is for homeowners who are paying property taxes. So in that respect, someone who is living in public housing would not have access to that program. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 70, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operation Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023 be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20222023 fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to have two of my younger constituents in the building acting as pages today Scarlett Anderson and Sylvia Isenor. It is wonderful to have them. I hope they find this an inspirational experience. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, I move seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 62, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 2, be read for the second time.

This bill makes a number of amendments to the Act to update the Act, in light of recent Income Tax Act of Canada amendments, by the following:

Allowing the communication of information between governments of the Northwest Territories and Canada;

Removing federally repealed provisions;

Making changes respecting various COVID19 relief measures;

Making the act conform with the CanadaNorthwest Territories tax collection agreement;

Including a...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 69, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 62, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 2; Changing the Relationship Action Plan in Response to the Calls for Justice on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples; and, InterActivity Transfers over $250,000 April 1st to June 30th, 2022. Thank you, Madam Speaker.