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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Minister
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Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Madam Chair, we were just conferring on this side, and we think it may actually only be in Yellowknife at the present moment. If I'm wrong, Madam Chair, I will correct myself in due course. I think right now it's actually still just only in Yellowknife or possibly Inuvik, too.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021"; "Statistics Act Annual Report 2019-2020"; and "Final Report SROI: Integrated Case Management, February 2020." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. There is one thing I would note is that this program is for individuals who work at least 30 hours per week. There are likely some individuals who are making less than this, who are at least closer to the minimum wage. A bit of conjecture here but they wouldn't qualify for this program if they're not working 30 hours a week. I would be cautious in assuming that this program is necessarily covering everyone who is making less than $18 per hour and that those numbers might actually be quite different. We certainly do have some statistics, labour market statistics, on who...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking over at the Minister of ECE, if we could go to him, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Madam Chair, this $280,000 specifically is entirely GNWT funded. That certainly isn't to say that there is not funding that is already existing within the Health and Social Services system for mental health that is from the federal government. I don't know that I would have all of that here available in front of me, but I can certainly convey to the Minister of Health and Social Services that we might want a bit more information on that exact issue. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

The opportunity for review and the opportunity for change certainly comes with risks. I can certainly say that it is my intention to look at that policy and move it forward to determine if a review is really in the best interests and achieves the goals that we have for it. Where I am going with that is that it's figuring out what we want to get out of the Affirmative Action Policy that we are not getting. What is it that we are not getting that we would like to see changed?

I suppose, in a sense, that would be a review, Mr. Speaker, but as far as that will look like, where it will go, and what...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. The first round of funding was really directed and really driven at the large airlines that provide scheduled passenger services. We were able to use some flexibility and to receive some flexibility so that we could direct it at airlines more across the Northwest Territories, more broadly than just one or two, which is certainly beneficial and there is a breakdown that was provided to five different airlines. Now, negotiations have continued with Transport Canada regularly. There have been regular communications between the Department of Finance and, I believe, the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you. Madam Chair, on the left, we have Terence Courtoreille here, who is director of Management Board Secretariat, and on the right, Jamie Koe, who is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Madam Chair, I'm not sure if it's offered in all communities. Let me see if I can get a number that will perhaps break that down a little bit further as to what communities that is being offered in. Madam Chair, beginning in 2020-2021, there is support that is expected to be available in 15 communities. This is meant to provide the community training for five communities in the first two years and then to go from there, reducing over time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is not new money at this point. This is money that's come in to date, and that has been provided, I believe, to the end of June. A mix of both planned and spent. I suppose it depends. If we're looking just at the first line item, the $23 million, that is a mix of on the planned and spent items coming in based on best estimates at this point of what's happening with COVID-19. Thank you, Madam Chair.