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 79)

Mr. Speaker, June 3rd marks the twoyear anniversary of the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and its demand for a world where First Nations, Inuit, and Métis families can raise their children in an environment that offers the same level of safety, security, and human rights as nonIndigenous families.

To mark this date, I will be tabling the first annual report addressing the government's actions to respond to the calls for justice.

Mr. Speaker, following the release of the final report by the national inquiry, the GNWT...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Madam Chair, to date Canada North has received total contributions of $21 million and $21,372,000.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 34, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 20212022, be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20212022 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, the process that would be followed through the disaster assistance committee is that individuals have the opportunity  members of the community have opportunity to make their application, make it known, list out what items it is that they may have lost and, you know, what damage they may have incurred. And while there's no necessarily  you don't necessarily have to be bringing in a receipt to do that. Essentially you're writing out a list of what you believe your losses or damages to be. The caveat or the kind of note that I'd make with that, though, is...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we are not driven by getting money from the federal government. It will certainly be nice to get money back from the federal government. They have a disaster relief fund. It is set up to provide supports for all provinces and territories. Our disaster assistance policy is not that different from the others for this exact purpose. But we aren't before the House right now with this, making the commitments that I've made today, in the hopes that I'll get money back. We're here because we want to make sure that we're getting this money out as quickly as we can...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so I think it is only Canadian North, if I'm not mistaken, that is of a size that it would be receiving funding from other jurisdictions. They have to report all of their receipts, all of their revenue sources to the Department of Finance. But, again, the funding that we are distributing to them, again, this a federally mainly a federal program. The amount that they get from the federal government is for the wage subsidy program. So it is not business relief. It is not relief to assist them in their maintaining of their operations of their fleet of, you...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: The Annual Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls June 2021. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Madam Chair, one further correction in the same vein, I move that Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022 be amended by changing under "Industry, Tourism and Investment, Minerals and Petroleum Resources Activity, not previously authorized", to negative $118,000. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I saw that story too. When I saw it, I think the headline actually was that the airlines got a bit of a tonguelashing from one of my federal colleagues if I might, so. And no, to be short, the contribution agreement that we have in place that is that has to be signed by the recipients who are the recipient airlines who are receiving this funding are not to be using that for the payment of any sort of bonuses or dividend payments. It is really meant to be provided solely to provide essential air services. There is a holdback provision in the contribution...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Madam Chair, I can give you an estimate. I think we're looking at somewhere between, you know, I think 60 to 80 households right now. So at least there's a sense of the scale of what we're dealing with. And Madam Chair, again, the commitment that I'm making, I realize that it is not as specific as people want but it's an understanding now that the disaster system's committee process, while it exists, while it's a policy and it's a process and it has a way of unfolding, is going to take some time. That is why I'm making the commitment that Finance and MACA are going to work together to make...