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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the First NationsInuit Policing Program Framework Agreement is a titles by the federal government and somewhat doesn't necessarily relate clearly. It provides funding for RCMP officer positions. In this case, it funds five RCMP officer positions. The agreement provides a different ratio of funding as between the GNWT and the federal government where under this agreement it is at a better ratio. It comes in at 52 percent to 48 percent Public Safety Canada and then GNWT. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are some very, very detailed breakdown charts of all of the efforts, both in terms of recovery costing as well as the firefighting. I think there may be some firefighting associated here but or sorry, some firefighting that's under the MACA envelope. But this portion under ECC, this is exclusively with respect to fire suppression. And the fire suppression will include both community fires activities as well as wildfires away and outside of communities. So this is entirely for that. It is not the recovery amounts or the response amounts that would relate to, for...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm I suspect some. I mean, there's obviously quite a list of agreements here included and so some would and some wouldn't and the breakdown of that, again, I don't necessarily have that in front of me here but I could endeavour to get that. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is part of a funding program that ITI rolled out in support of small business small, medium sized businesses following the wildfire seasons. There was a total relief of $2 million. This portion appropriates or is a requesting to appropriate an amount that came in from CanNor. It provided support to help cover fixed costs, which would include things, for instance, like rents or, you know, utilities, items and the like, and that went through an approval process with ITI. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, it is the RCMP that determine the policing standards and that put forward their policing plans that then go to Department of Justice. They are the ones that would be driving the determination of need that then gets put forward for funding appropriations. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I don't have it done by a financial number. Again, certainly, if there's we do track, as I've said, as of December of last year there was 517. You certainly could go in and take all of those and figure out what each one is worth. What I can say is that late in the end of the last Assembly and also the beginning of this one, I certainly have asked the Department of Finance to go and figure out and ensure, rather, that we are looking at positions that have been vacant for a long time. There can be times where an individual may be off with a duty to...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I mean, again, if it's with respect to the $6 million that's before committee here, I believe under the evacuation travel support, one of the eligibility requirements did involve listing your place of residence and so in that sense we will be able to, I believe, break down this $6 million by residence on that basis. If it's with respect to the total fire suppression and total evacuation costs by community, that may be a bit more challenged in that I don't know to what extent there will be you know, some fire suppression efforts that would involve by fire as opposed to...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The annual operation funding requirements with this are looked at at around $2.5 million for and, yes sorry, for 20222023 projected for 20232024 to be I'm sorry, I think I said my numbers backward, Mr. Chair. $5.2 million for 20222023 and projected $5.1 million for 20232024. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So some of these programs are applicationbased which so it depends on the amount of applications received and also can depend upon when work is done, which would then affect when the money is disbursed. So as far as just to ensure and also I'm sorry, I should also note that some of the individual areas where the funding is allocated are do permit to have carryovers. So I will need to just double check to see if, in fact, it is all expended. It looks that it has been, Mr. Chair. And if I am incorrect in that, I will certainly correct that at the earliest opportunity...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, we are looking at total projected expenditures for the year will be at just over $121 million. And that's anticipated expenditures. So in terms of the base budget, that comes in at around just 21.7, just over $21.7 million. In August, you may recall there was a request for a supplementary appropriation at $75 million. So that leaves with the projected expenditures of 121, that leaves the projected shortfall of 24.3, which brings us here. Thank you.