Caroline Wawzonek

Member Yellowknife South

Deputy Premier
Minister of Finance
Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Minister Responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy and Supply Chains

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,  Minister 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

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, appreciate the question. It won't necessarily show up as a line item here. The list of things that are being done within the GNWT right now to support carbon neutrality and environmental and climate change related initiatives are across departments, and so they wouldn't just show up right directly underneath this line item, but I can give some examples thereof.

We do have, for example, the cumulative impact monitoring that comes in around $3 million. Alternative and renewable energy programs and alternative technologies program as in and around just over nearing...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not going to make a commitment right now on the fly without, you know, a bit more discussion, but, again, happy to take back comments or suggestions that are going to come from the review. Again, I gather that is now underway. The Legislative Assembly's responsible for it. We can bring forward recommendations. It is something that is managed under the fiscal -- or the Department of Finance but is one that I know is of interest, and there are public obligations here, so before any significant changes would be made. So, again, happy to see what committee reports back...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't have a detail, I don't believe, in terms of what -- like, specifically the kind of remediation that would be involved, like, the -- you know, for example, I know if it's -- yes, the specific type of remediation activity itself. Can certainly -- because that would be a lead that would sit over with ECC so happy to take that away and can provide a follow-up. The liability that we book is an estimate of what the cost would be but not necessarily the experts in the Department of Finance that determine what the remediation costs itself would be, simply what we are...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is -- there's some very specific efforts already underway. Larger centres already had, in some cases, the capacity to move this forward. I will certainly be more than happy to bring back the suggestion that this go back to Council of Leaders if it hasn't already.

Mr. Speaker, there is some work, indeed, underway already in Fort Simpson and in Inuvik as well as Hay River. So, you know, again, happy to take this back and suggest that Council of Leaders be engaged, again, if they're not and to ensure that report is brought back to Members on that...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I probably will turn that one to the deputy minister for some detail. There wouldn't be added cost, at least not anticipated at this time, Mr. Chair. It is -- you know, has been drafted, I believe has or will be going to committee for their consideration and -- before being implemented. It's a tool that's used to help bring a lens of understanding on some of the submissions that come through as decision papers to see whether or what impacts from a macro economic lens things are having. But if I could, Mr. Chair, just on detail of sort of the next steps, I'll...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Mr. Chair, there's both. They do have funds that they are -- that they administer that can be accessed by project proponents but there's also significant policies that they have been working on over the last several years, namely, to have a new regulatory or policy approach for the North and that scenario where we have remained active in terms of ensuring our view of wanting to have a competitive industry but also one that provides reliability and affordability and trying to find that balance here in the North where we are -- obviously have comparably limited access to...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Yes, please, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

CIBC, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, two staff are being added to FESS, so that is the division that supports public servants with -- including with medical travel assistance. And, you know, definitely the intent there being with two additional people on that that will be an opportunity to help ensure that people are having more timely assistance. You know, again, Mr. Chair, there's -- I will say there's also work happening in the Department of Health and Social Services. We do rely on referrals from them to come over to us, to FESS, and, you know, have had some conversations around wanting to ensure...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 42)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point there certainly has been some slippage in that timeline but it's owing, in part, due to some of the unanticipated challenges of truly working with the partners in this space. So I understand that there's significant efforts underway to work with NGOs and with Indigenous governments, community governments, others who are working collaboratively to ensure that the individual targets are appropriate to their communities so wanting to ensure that the ultimate timeline is aligned with the work that is happening on the ground. And so with that, it's...