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.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't have the financial details here, and I'm not sure if either of the witnesses might have it. There were original cost overages from the original time when the project was first conceived. But in terms of the wording of this contract, I mean, that, I believe, was spoken to at last year's or at a previous occasion in reviewing the infrastructure plans. So there hasn't been any changes in the last, you know, several months as far as moving the project forward. But as far as the original costs, the changes in costs, I'll I know there were changes to...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)
Thank you, Madam Chair. So again, Madam Chair, I can't speak to what may or may not have been presented by the Member back in 2019. I can say that the Tlicho Government, I understand, is in support of this transmission project and it certainly is a part of the priorities of this government to make sure we are working with Indigenous governments when typically on projects that are on Indigenous lands. And, you know, I'm not sure where the disconnect is between the information that's available. So perhaps in those studies, it may well answer those questions. The information I have available to...
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.
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.
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...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, speaking about a culture of hiring, Mr. Speaker, I don't accept that that characterization is fair, that the idea of saying that it is troubled and has double standards or is unfair. I don't accept that characterization, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of people within the entire GNWT, 5,000 strong, who care deeply about the territory, who care deeply about the people that they serve, and care deeply about having a representative workforce. That is not to say that every process is perfect. That is not to say that every public servant is perfect any more than...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, I don't agree that the entire hiring system of the GNWT is not transparent. It is certainly a complex system at times. There are quite a number of pieces of legislation policy that need to be adhered to and followed. The Collective Agreement has to be adhered to and followed. And in doing so, that, again, that does require a fairly rigorous process and a fairly sometimes one might think of it being a complex process. If it's not always very well understood, just as the Affirmative Action Policy is not always very well understood. And all of those...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, but that it was so easy. So the summer student program, it doesn't have a separate line item or budgeting item to it, as I think was mentioned earlier in Members' statement. The way that it works, though, Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance, of course, can coordinate the support hiring of summer students and can coordinate and support training programs for the summer students.
Every department has a responsibility to determine what their needs are, to find special projects that they often do, and often do rely, indeed, on summer students who are coming in...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of May 31st, 2021, we have a total of 192 summer students currently hired. There's an additional 53 who have pending offers. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have only myself been a public servant for not even about a year and a half now. I will say that it has been my experience that I am deeply impressed by the work, by the skill, and by the care that I've seen, in general, by public servants across the Northwest Territories and across different departments and divisions.
When concerns are brought forward through the Department of Finance, Human Resources headquarters does look at each and every one and does do their best to investigate them, to work to resolve personnel issues. And, indeed, there are...
