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. Mr. Chair, let me see if perhaps the deputy minister might have that the number in terms of the positions oh well, we do have. Six positions right now, Mr. Chair, in the PRO office. As for whether they are filled, again let me see if the deputy has that information. If not, we'll get back to the Member. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on my left I have the deputy minister Pamela Strand. And on my right, Nina Salvador, who is the director of finance for the department.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So certainly some effort can be made perhaps to try to determine what monies are going in, and it would depend upon if we're looking at positions or if we're looking at contributions. There are EDO contribution agreements, for example with the YKDFN and Fort Res, where we are funding an economic development officer in those two communities. There would obviously be quite a large number of, you know, individual grants and contributions that go to individual businesses in all four of those communities and that would be in the contract report so we can provide that detail...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, right now we did have an influx just as part of the winter fishery obviously for this current fiscal to support the winter fishery. But that was a million dollars. As for what might be needed for I mean, I don't know how far into the future we're looking. I mean, there may well need to be something further into the future but at the moment, CanNor has provided some significant supports. It's going directly to Tu Cho, not to the GNWT, so it's not necessarily showing up here. But they have received, as I say, a million dollars going in to support their...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's not core funding, and let me just preempt the question. They did not get any 2.2 percent inflationary increase. As for what this is going to be used for, I'll ask the deputy minister to speak to that, please.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 20232024 Main Estimates for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, or ITI. Overall, the department’s estimates propose an increase of $1.9 million or 3.1 percent over the 20222023 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of ITI while continuing to meet the Government of the Northwest Territories fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.
Highlights of the proposed estimates include:
initiative funding totalling $1.40 million, which includes:
$324,000 to continue our...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, none of I mean, GNWT is not organized based on the 19 ridings of the Legislative Assembly. So I appreciate that we'll have to get some detail there. I'm not sure if I have it broken down by 19 Members here. And let me see if the deputy minister is able to and if not, we'll certainly get back to the Member with that detail. Thanks.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there was an effort done to do some engagement on SEED right towards the end of COVID. It wasn't it didn't get a lot of uptake in terms of feedback and this is the program where, obviously and specifically looking at the question of market disruption. That was one of the main areas that was asked. It is one where there's a divide a bit between small and large centers in terms of whether there should or should not be market disruption. And so while I this is policy and it can change, wanted to go back when the economy's settled a little bit so there is a...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 140)
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that's correct. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this touches on finance as well because this is an area that's going to potentially drive our future economy.
I have to say we did have the opportunity to comment on the federal critical minerals metals strategy before it was final, and I would suggest there are a lot of elements in there that I think reflect exactly on the submission that we made and reflect exactly on what we wanted to see in terms of being a strategy that is now high level. The next step, obviously, proof is in the pudding where are they going to spend their dollars? Those...
