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 12)

Mr. Chair, when I attended, myself, down in Hay River and had a tour, they described engaging with everything from businesses to local volunteer organizations, to provide both sort of placements and just involvement and to engage them so that they are aware of what the program is and what the opportunities to involve might be. That's not a very specific answer, and at this point, the reason it's not very specific is because some of the details of exactly who might be involved depends on the willingness of those partners to be involved. What I would suggest, Mr. Chair, is that I would commit to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of the requests made versus actual success rates, I take it that that's, and I am getting a head nod. Yes, we will do our best. I assume that those numbers are tracked, and if they are, I think we can provide that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

A number of initiatives have been begun in the last few months as a response to the fact that there were some challenges with this building when it initially came online. It's always expected that there is going to be some difficulty with a building that is the size and complexity of Stanton Territorial Hospital. Indeed, this hospital is arguably one of if not the most complex building ever undertaken by the Northwest Territories government, certainly one of the most technical in terms of the kinds of equipment, so while we are cognizant that there have been challenges, there is work under way...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It was pointed out to me just now, and I want to correct the record that the increase in contract services was exclusively for guns and gangs. It was a reduction on the ICM side, so I apologize for misstating that. With respect to community justice, the increase there, there's a number of reasons for the increase. This is where you get into contribution agreement to victim services. It is one reason for the increase. The increase is in resources to integrated case management of $276,000, as well as some increases as a result of the collective agreement that are increasing...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Staff of OROGO do, certainly, have a significant role in completing the materials and it, of course, still have to be put together in conjunction with the Department of Justice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Yes, Mr. Chair, thank you. I am here to present the 2020-2021 Main Estimates for the Department of Justice. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of just under $7.4 million or 5.8 percent over the 2019-2020 main estimates. These estimates support our fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending while matching the modest expected revenue growth over the coming year.

Highlights of these proposed estimates include:

$465,000 to develop a gun and gang violence strategy for the Northwest Territories, including funding for targeted risk-based interventions within...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. These kinds of reminders are exactly one of the main benefits of this process. I appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sorry, I think I may have actually been sort of mumbling along. I apologize. The increase that is being increased from the main estimates of 2019-2020 to 2020-2021, the increase in the mains is as a result in small part to the collective agreement increase but in more significant part is a forced growth application. The Member already pointed out the difference in the actuals, and so the increase here, and it's again, as I mentioned, the first time in some years that there has actually been an increase, is reflected in simply the increased costs. Everything from an...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As to the first part of the Member's comment, about being crippled, I would reply to simply say that this actually did come in on budget and that the project costs for construction were as expected, and that the contract costs are as expected. To the second half of the Member's question, Madam Speaker, the Boreal Partnership is made up of HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions, Bird Capital Limited, and BBGI Corporation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A significant amount of the travel is the result, in community justice, we often wind up either bringing community justice committee chairs into their regional centres, and often sometimes into Yellowknife, and that is a significant reason for the increase in funding, increases to travel budgets. The other significant contributing factor is the Northwest Territories guns and gangs strategy involves researchers going into communities in Behchoko, Inuvik, Fort Smith, and Hay River, so there are costs, of course, associated with that travel. Thank you, Mr. Chair.