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 132)

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 71, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 20232024, be read for the third time. And Madam Speaker, I would request a recorded vote.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 132)

Madam Speaker, I wish to present to the House that Bill 71, Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), 20232024, be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 132)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm going to take a bit from my colleague down the way here and the Minister of Infrastructure. The Department of Infrastructure really does have the lead for a large portion of the capital projects that go through, and that department, in response to concerns like this, is actually developing a dashboard. It will be a public dashboard and will be providing exactly the kind of synopsis that the Member's describing. And I can certainly commit to keep him updated as to the progress on that dashboard, or I'm sure my colleague will. Thank you, Madam Speaker...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 132)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I think this question actually came up, or a version of it, during Committee of the Whole. And the Members were assured there is an asset management plan, and there is a very thorough process by which we are keeping track of all of the assets of the government and the capital needs and any, you know, needs for maintenance, etcetera, through all the departments, particularly the Department of Infrastructure.

Now with respect to where the question actually got to, which is whether or not we'll be publishing a 20year capital or the 20year capital needs...

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...