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 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the choices of where the collection stations are to go is a decision that is I think really looking to the fishers themselves to drive that decisionmaking. And that's where there is now a working group that is being set up and has begun to meet for those who are fishers, again all around the lake. So that exactly on questions like that, that consultation with them, that they are the ones that are actually driving where those sites go. You know, keeping in mind, of course, the role of DFO in that and the role of individual communities that may have may or...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think the Minister of ENR is quite keen to speak to this one, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act; and, Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 20212022 corporate plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, my understanding is there tends to be contingencies often built in, so I expect that this is no different in this particular project. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Madam Chair, this is going to be studies and information done by expertise within Infrastructure so I'll turn it back to the Minister of Infrastructure again, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair, I am happy to provide that update. It's  I mean, I'm speaking to it because I've been receiving, as Minister of ITI, updates regularly and, in fact, only just quite recently on some of this. So let me put that together and I'm happy to commit to getting more information. It is a good news story and, yeah, there's been some delays but it does seem as though some of that's been worked through now with respect to how to manage the inspections or the requirement of DFO. So we'll certainly commit to getting that out.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to strengthening relationships with governments. We are also committed to providing opportunities to create a more diverse, inclusive, and representative public service.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Finance is launching Building Capacity with Indigenous Governments, a new program to support up to ten twoway secondment arrangements between the GNWT and Indigenous governments each year.

The program will support the secondment of employees between governments for immersive experiences about how our...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Rolling action! The Next 5 Years: Northwest Territories Film & Media Sector Strategy and Action Plan 20212026. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 77)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 32, an Act to amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 76)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the division of Human Resources within the Department of Finance is really, they service the clients of all they're the departments of their clients. So this is again not something that we can look at one or two or a handful of individuals who are being  who are within the department or within the Department of Finance. It is about the entire Government of the Northwest Territories, every department, every community, and every hiring manager out there that they are taking the mandatory training, both in terms of cultural sensitivity, that they are taking...