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.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the CAP, or the Canadian Agricultural Partnership agreement, is a bilateral agreement with the federal government. It does get renegotiated time to time. And there has been a new framework that was negotiated with the provinces and territories and the federal government. So we are expecting, as a result of that, a 25 percent increase to the overall funding envelope.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is yet another chance for ECC and ITI to work together. Minister Thompson and I have spoken about the Aurora Wood Pellets project many times. The deputy minister will likely have the latest on that. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am familiar with at least one project in particular where I know there was definitely a story of an individual who I think in fact did go ahead and move away. But, Mr. Chair, simple answer, absolutely happy to work with Lands. I know the department officials are already working with Lands and there was, not that long ago, that myself and Minister Thompson often had regular checkins and meetings because we have overlaps such as this one. So what I can do on my end is confirm that we'll add that to a future meeting that we have between the two departments with Ministers...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I believe that is probably funding that's going directly to the Indigenous governments, and I'm getting some nods around me. So that is part of the contributions to support their participation in that process. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the call that went out to departments was under the forced growth process of business planning, and it was so that those NGOs or nonprofits across the Northwest Territories that provide services on behalf of government could now see increases to their budgets given that they are, you know, filling in where public servants would have to step in and provide those services in the alternative. And in that regard, the departments or I'm sorry, the organizations on behalf of ITI, who perform those types of functions, include the community futures organizations...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, again, the entire Government of the Northwest Territories is not reorganize itself into 19 ridings. The Beaufort Delta allocate region right now includes all of Nunakput, both of the Inuvik ridings and the Mackenzie Delta. So we're not drawn up into 19 different groups. There are public servants based in the communities of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. There are positions funded with YKDFN as well with respect, as I said, to the EDO for example. And there's funds that go out to individual community members. Some of it is done through the regional...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm happy to take the federal money before I need to spend the GNWT's money. And for the moment, we have seen a fair bit of support from CanNor. And I think I said earlier this fiscal, I think I meant this book in front of me. So it's for the 20232024 year that there's a million dollars expected to go in to the Tu Cho on behalf of CanNor. At least that's what we were sort of hoping right now. Nothing is completely confirmed but anticipating that dollar that those dollars are invested. And if so, there is not again, there's not a need for more money from the...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the Tu NedheWiilideh riding, in general, would be under the North Slave. Again, we're not going to be in a position as a government to break down to allocate regions to being 19 regions. Whatever economies of scale that we have in the North, which are few and far between already, would be utterly lost. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I just wanted to note, so a detailed reporting of which universities and for which projects receives this money is in the grants and contributions results reports for 20212022. That would give a bit more of a sense of what's been ongoing, which I'm also happy to provide directly just rather than reading it out. It is an NTGS administered funding. Mr. Chair, I think I've missed a thread of what the question was. Let me see if the deputy minister wants to add anything, sorry.
