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
Mobile
Minister
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 89)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I sadly don't know when COVID will go away. I wish it was gone; but it's not. And, you know, in the interim, we now have a new variant. So, you know, variants continue to arise. Variants continue to spread. And, you know, that's again part of the reason that we have a vaccination policy in the first place is that this you know, in the last year and a half has demonstrated itself to be the best way to keep people safe, residents safe, public safe, people we serve, particularly in the Northwest Territories where, you know, we saw how quickly in some of...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 89)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I recognize this is a point of frustration for some. I appreciate the patience that those who are going to have to follow the PPE element are showing, you know. As far as masks are concerned, in general the masks should be the threelayer masks and worn tightly to the face. But there is some adaptation for each work site because, exactly as the Member has noted, an office work site might not necessarily require any additional or alternative PPE as compared to someone working at a different type of situation such as an industrial one. So every department...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 89)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there is a long list of different funding programs, both through the GNWT and still with some federal government programs, I believe, still open. So, you know, I had to pull them out myself. It is a long list; I recognize that. Some do require equity contribution. And the most recent one, the one that was announced by the GNWT here back in August/September, the Tourism Restart Program, that does require a 10 percent equity contribution. But earlier programs did not. So PREP and STAR, STAR was for accommodations providers and the other PREP was tourism...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the modules there are points along the way where one can or actually to advance, you have to complete a test and does check in on what you have taken out of a certain section or out of a certain module in order to move forward. So there's those internal tests along the way. Yes, those are not necessarily being monitored by a manager or by someone's supervisor. But, Mr. Speaker, perhaps what I would like to do is to go back to the departments, see what we with do. You know, the point of the training isn't necessarily to score people. It's to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll bring this to my colleagues. I know they're all listening. This is mandatory for all staff. This is one of those policies that is coordinated out of the Department of Finance through human resources. There was a real recognition of how important this was, and a lot of effort and time and collaboration, internal and external, went into these materials, so. It's already a priority but I'll certainly recommit to reinforcing that and to confirming with the Member as we do that. I want us all to be held accountable for taking this training. It is very good...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 4, 20202021, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 4, 20202021, be read for the second time.

This bill sets out limits on supplementary amounts that may be borrowed by the Commissioner on behalf of the government and authorizes the making of disbursements to pay the principal of supplementary amounts borrowed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20212022fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.