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

Board of Management
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Office
(867) 767-9143
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Mobile
867-445-7437
Minister
Email
Email

Statements in Debates

Committee Motion 15-19(2): Concurrence Motion – Tabled Document 130-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have a date here, and I think, just in light of the fact that, sadly, again, with COVID-19 there may have been some delays, may or may not, but I will make the commitment that we'll get that confirmation of the target date to the Member.

Committee Motion 15-19(2): Concurrence Motion – Tabled Document 130-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to pull back the veil a little bit on the process. Departments are expected to look internally and to determine whether or not they can utilize their existing resources, both in terms of actual structural resources and staffing resources before coming forward to seek additional funding, or seek the creation of additional positions. In this case, if they do come forward, then certainly an analysis is done by the Management Board Secretariat to confirm whether or not, in fact, what is being requested is really what is required. In this particular instance, ENR, Lands...

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, we have Mr. Terence Courtoreille, who is the director of Management Board Secretariat, and Jamie Koe, who is the assistant deputy minister for Finance.

Committee Motion 15-19(2): Concurrence Motion – Tabled Document 130-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. The total costs, year to date, on self-isolation centres are $1.2 million, and a breakdown is that the majority of that are in Yellowknife, $535,000 or just over; a little over $207,000 in Hay River; $455,750 in Inuvik; and $2,160 in Fort Smith. Madam Chair, I'm happy to provide that chart to the Member so he doesn't have to write down my numbers. Thank you.

Committee Motion 15-19(2): Concurrence Motion – Tabled Document 130-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 30)

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a new program, and I am not sure how far along the Minister of ECE is on it, but he is maybe better placed to at least speak to what state that program is at. Thank you.

Committee Motion 15-19(2): Concurrence Motion – Tabled Document 130-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Carried
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.

Bill 7: Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2020-2021
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 7, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2020-2021, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually had the opportunity to speak with Northwestel just today. There are quite a number of projects that I think they are looking to advance. There are projects that they are looking to advance on their own, and some that they are looking to partner with various levels of government on, so, while I can't sit here right now and promise that all of Tuktoyaktuk housing and facilities will be linked to high-speed fibre in the immediate future, I can certainly say that this project will get a long way in terms of figuring out exactly what is required. It would...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I am a bit conscious that the detailed specifics should be directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, but I think it is safe to say, really, something that is being experienced and seen across all of the infrastructure projects and a lot of the infrastructure projects that are coming through Finance right now are experiencing some delays as a result of COVID-19, whether it's because of procurement slowdowns, whether it's because of slowdowns on the private sector side, in terms of the ability to have uptake. That is not to say that projects...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would be more than happy to offer that explanation, but to be quite frank, I do not have that contract or those arrangements in front of me and was simply not anticipating to be defending the entire P3 arrangement around Stanton today. I will be more than happy to give that answer, but I think I can really just commit to getting that detail. I am not going to be in a position to answer that fulsomely today.