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 2)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We currently have programs in place between the Correctional Service working inside our incarceration facilities and with communities to ensure that individuals have a reintegration plan before they go into the community, and that is meant to be one of the key ways in which we are hoping to assist individuals to not reoffend.

In addition, of course, this is something that involves partnerships throughout all of government to ensure that people have the right supports in their communities so that they can continue to live lives that are healthy when they are out of the...

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

There are fortunately a number of initiatives that I can speak to. There certainly is significant effort within corrections to have Indigenous cultural safety training for all staff. There are efforts to have Aboriginal liaisons available to all individuals within the correctional system. There is, in addition to that, a number of initiatives to ensure that there are court workers available in the communities and to ensure that police priorities also include cultural safety.

All that said, Mr. Speaker, I am aware that more still needs to be done, and so I certainly am alive to that and intend...

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

As all of my colleagues here know, over-incarceration of Indigenous people was not an express priority that we noted for the Members of the 19th Assembly. Nevertheless, I have already stated publicly that this is a priority for me personally. It is an issue that I have personally been engaged on for many years, and I can't imagine that anyone who knew me in my past life would expect me to come into this House and not see this as a personal priority. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would certainly like to assure that, doing my part, as Minister of Justice, and the Department of Justice of the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 1)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 2-19(1), Carbon Tax Implementation." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 1)

I hesitate to use the word "urgent." I heard the Member's statement earlier that, when someone is undergoing a situation that requires legal support or legal assistance, it will inevitably feel urgent to that individual, no matter how a government might choose to prioritize it. I want to be sensitive. I recognize what the Member is saying.

Legal Aid does prioritize child protection matters, so if there is an apprehension, for example; matters where there is domestic violence, situations where an individual needs to leave the relationship urgently; and also matters where matters are already in...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 1)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are currently still two open positions in the family law side of Legal Aid. They are not actively filled at the moment, but recruitment at the Legal Aid clinic is essentially a near-constant process, and I will certainly let the Member know as soon as the positions are filled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 1)

I would absolutely ensure that we provide that to all of the Members of this House and to provide that, both in terms of the documentation that I know is out there, but also information on how to access it, and perhaps ensure that it gets to everyone's constituency assistants, as well. I thank the Member for that suggestion.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 1)

When the Legal Aid clinic and the resident lawyer from Inuvik was moved to Yellowknife, that was in part a reflection of overall budget cuts at the time and a recognition that the Legal Aid clinic there was actually being underutilized in comparison to the staff lawyers that were positioned in Yellowknife. In moving that position, it actually increased access to family law services for the residents of the Northwest Territories.

That said, Inuvik does have a court registry, it does have a court worker, and there are ways to improve access to justice using those other services.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2019-2020, be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2019-2020 fiscal year and sets out limits on supplementary amounts that may be borrowed by the Commissioner on behalf of the government and authorizes the making of disbursements to pay the principle of supplementary amounts borrowed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table the "Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 from April 1 to September 30, 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.