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.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Even at present, this is probably a few days old. The current forecast of the department is to be in a slight decrease in overall cash flow by the end of the fiscal. What we are able to have repaid will depend very much on what revenues we are able to get back in.
I can assure the Member that the request to make this part of the short-term borrowing limit would stand only until the end of the fiscal year. To the extent that there would be a total increase in the short-term borrowing limit, that may well be changed significantly in time for the next fiscal strategy so...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am hesitant always to put other departments on the spot, but I would certainly expect that we likely have that information within Finance, and so, to the extent that I can provide some further chronology on when that taxation information was received, the Department of Finance will certainly endeavour to see what information we have .
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
Madam Chair, that's correct. The number that we settled on in terms of coming forward to the Assembly is one that we thought was certainly as low as possible, but while retaining sufficient flexibility, looking at the projected cash flows from now to the end of just this fiscal year, again.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Finance does attempt to pay all vendors within 30 days, which I would suggest is really an industry standard. It allows an opportunity to due diligence on the materials that are presented in support of an invoice, in addition to which the goal in fact is to pay BIP members or BIP businesses within 20 days, a standard that we are working towards. So that is the rationale, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
Thank you, Madam Chair. There are a number of contributing factors that are impacting on the cash flow, as we have identified them quite recently. For one, simply put, there was a much lower starting point from what had been projected; outstanding receivables from the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority for repayment of their payroll, $117 million; the collective agreement resulted in increases to overall GNWT payroll, and that has impacted on the cash flow estimates; the delay in terms of federal funding that is received and that will be coming in as revenue but that...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
I just want to clarify, Madam Chair, when the city bill was received generally.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
In the interest of time, Madam Chair, I'll just turn it over to Mr. Koe.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
Thank you, Madam Chair. There is an increase in the Norman Wells mill rates. With respect to the opening of the Norman Wells Health Centre, that does include some of the additional increase, $52,000. As well, there are some other assets within the Yellowknife region where, again owing to the change in rate, the assessment values also rose. That accounts, I believe, for the remainder of the full amount being sought on the supplementary appropriation. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
Thank you, Madam Chair. I acknowledge the Member's comments, and, certainly, to the extent that there needs to be a better review, we certainly share that. It doesn't eliminate the fact that, unfair, unfortunately, we are at a situation now that the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, MACA, does not have this money available to it within its budget, short of the current supplementary bill that is for consideration at present.
The Department of Finance is going to be working with MACA to the extent possible to help ensure that mitigation measures or that better measures are in place to...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 1st Session (day 3)
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member indicated that the frustration is on the one side of the Assembly. I suspect it is on all sides of the Assembly. I certainly share the frustrations sitting here, as well. What I would like to say on behalf of the Department of Finance is that we intend to start now as we mean to go on and to be fiscally responsible but to, as I have said, use this as an opportunity to do better. That is where, we mentioned earlier in my very brief introductory comment, that, by doing some four-year plans, year-over-year plans, it is our hope that each department is in a...
