Member Yellowknife South

Deputy Premier
Minister of Finance
Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains

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,  Minister 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

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

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

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am looking at the document the tabled document. I do actually have an amount. So I'm not sure what has gone wrong. I do have $2.5 million for 20242025 showing here for the Highway 3, and specifically contemplating the fact that there would be some sections that would require strengthening in order to service the potential here. So or to service that highway in light of what is going to be happening with the bridge. So, yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Madam Chair, you know, I want to say a simple yes. Housing is one that has a lot of attention obviously from the federal government. Housing is an area that has a lot of attention going to Indigenous governments. And there's been significant growth in money going directly to Indigenous governments and community governments, not the GNWT, which is a perfectly good solution and one that we have, in fact, advocated for because it allows communities to be in charge of delivering their own housing solutions. So I would say that there is one one of the challenges here is that this number does not...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker,

WHEREAS the federal government implemented a tax on vaping products effective October 1st, 2022, under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act and has extended an offer to enact an additional duty on vaping products with the revenues to be received by the Government of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the federal government has presented the Coordinated Vaping Products Taxation Agreement with Canada, which the Government of the Northwest Territories desires to sign;

AND WHEREAS as a condition of a coordinated vaping products taxation agreement, the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

That's correct, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, they are quite keen on the project. The project has a sense of so many senses of being chicken and egg, whether it's with the mineral resource industry or whether it's with the federal government. It is difficult to make a decision amongst ourselves and the Indigenous governments within the territories and say here's our project and go to the federal government without knowing what the federal government is going to put on the table or just how much at the table they're going to sit. So those are two challenges, I think, with this. Again, I want to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So on my left, deputy minister of finance Bill MacKay and, on my right, Julie Mujcin is the comptroller general.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't believe it is, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

I'll take that to Mr. Brennan, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this is, if you all think back to the time when we talked about a change in accounting treatment, here it is in real life form showing up here. So very exciting to learn about some accounting principles. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Indigenous Procurement Policy is one that is being co-developed or and co-drafted and proceeded together along with Indigenous governments of the Northwest Territories. It is not something that's going to be singularly led or dictated by the Government of the Northwest Territories for the benefit of others. It's the people who are going to benefit from it who are the ones that should be at the table driving what it looks like.

And, Mr. Speaker, while it might seem nice and easy to just create a target and call it a day, Mr. Speaker, right now the Yukon...