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 160)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 4th Anniversary of the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The final report describes the dire situation faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBPTQIA+ people as genocide. It also delivers 231 Calls for justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians to affect change.

Since the release of the final report, the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken steps to begin to affect change so that Indigenous women, girls and...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 160)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to be very brief so there's no misunderstanding for the public. The money that's going towards NTPC isn't necessarily to support their operations. This is a rate stabilization fund increase, Mr. Speaker, and that is really quite specifically because given the costs of fuel, which everyone's experiencing, the government experiences it too and Northwest Territories Power Corporation experiences those increases in rates or increases in fuel, that winds up being an added cost that was not built in to the rates during the last rate process. Therefore, now, they...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 160)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 95, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be read for a third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 160)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 95, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20232024fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to well, again, if there's a loss of revenue that's impacting an owner's personal income, you know, again I'd suggest they consider applying and we'll consider whether or not they can be eligible, at least under the income disruption stream. More generally, I realize that doesn't necessarily help the viability and strength of a business. So, you know, ITI does have the they have their own programs under SEED, entrepreneur support programs, operational support programs. Those were used for businesses that were affected by the floods last year...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Mr. Speaker, yes, absolutely. I certainly wanted to vocalize that commitment here. Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, we didn't have any staff assigned to this role. This wasn't something that we were contemplating. So while I am certainly cognizant that the people who were evacuated who are now having to go back after an extended period of time, they are the ones who are experiencing the greatest hardship. You know, again, we know that, but two weeks ago we didn't have anyone who was in the position of having to take these applications in. That said, Mr. Speaker, I can't say enough that I extend my...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hear the back and forth on this issue in this House. I have heard it now for almost four years as well. I'm only hesitant to create something on the fly out of the Department of Finance when I know there's processes happening in ECC that I am less intimately familiar with. But, Mr. Speaker, the departments the two departments are more than happy to work together. I know Minister of ECC and I work together on shared areas of overlap, whether it's finance, whether it's ITI, we have joint meetings. We can certainly start to do that with Department of...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, dealing with land leases obviously, I know the Member is well aware, is primarily the responsibility of now ECC. The Department of Finance certainly works with other departments but we really are, essentially, just the financial agent in that respect. So I can't pause the accounts of going out on my own, we would be relying on government policy to do that, and I know that work is happening right now over at ECC. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I was hoping to do some brief closing remarks, largely for the sake of ensuring that the purposes here are clear to the members of the public, so if I may, with that, Madam Chair, we are indeed seeking some supplementary funding for infrastructure expenditures in the amount of $124.5 million. This will bring total proposed expenditures for 20232024 to $462.146 million. As I outlined in Committee of the Whole yesterday, the additional numbers are mainly comprising capital carryovers.

Madam Chair, the GNWT does intentionally budget an amount above what we are...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 159)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 92, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act, No. 3; Interactivity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 (April 1st to December 31st, 2022); and, Interactivity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 (April 1st, 2022 to March 31st, 2023). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.