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 , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 13)

The Affirmative Action Policy is one that has different classifications depending on the types of jobs to which someone is applying. A P1 individual, for example, is someone who is Indigenous Aboriginal to the territory or someone who is Aboriginal and spent more than half their life in the Northwest Territories. There are also the P2 classifications. Depending, for a management position, there are 1A and 1B classifications. They are quite rigorous. They are clearly stated and, indeed, if someone meets one of those classifications and passes the requirements for a position, they are hired even...

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

There have actually not been very many stock outages since January of 2019, though there was indeed some delay recently. I am told that the resupply did come in last Friday and that it is something that we are continuously monitoring. Staff from the Department of Finance are involved in ensuring that the supply is regular and, indeed, I believe met with one of the repliers just last week. It is certainly our hope that, as we continue that relationship, that there should be hopefully fewer challenges for those seeking to avail themselves.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No. Support for victims of crime directly would be either through victim services or through, perhaps, the emergency victims of crime fund, and I think I may have the fund slightly wrong. This line item is not for that purpose. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

Mr. Chair, I'm not trying to be obstructive. I guess I just sign off on it, the same as I sign off on the rest of the budget that is before committee right now. I am here to defend it. I'm here to provide explanations of it, and I'm prepared to receive any comments or concerns that the Member has about the numbers that are before the committee right now. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe what the Member is making inquiries about is funding that is provided to the YWCA of the Northwest Territories. They are one of the designated authorities for assisting individuals under the Protection Against Family Violence Act, and they can support people in the community who are seeking an emergency protection order to seek the protection order. Sorry, Mr. Chair. I realize I had flipped inadvertently a page ahead.

Yes, protection against family violence includes that. It also includes, Mr. Chair, the access to funding that is provided for the A New Day...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. At this point, that is an option. It is one of the possibilities. Again, it will depend on who specifically in the community is ultimately partnered and ultimately decides to be partnered; so not only on the end of the Department of Justice but from the community partners. This may well be an opportunity for partners in that community to offer some sort of housing reintegration, but at this point, I can't commit specifically other than to say that it's an option.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that there has been some time taken, partly because it had to be approved with partners within the federal government and the administration of the federal Divorce Act. My information at present is that, indeed, this service will be launched at the end of March 2020, so I suppose the Member can hold me to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

We have a good partnership with the City of Yellowknife and with the mayor of Yellowknife, and I am confident that she was making every effort to explain to people who she represents how grants in lieu work and how taxes are paid by the Government of the Northwest Territories. We do not pay taxes. We pay a grant in lieu, and the grant in lieu supports the city when the Government of the Northwest Territories is using what would be municipal land that the municipality could otherwise garner tax-based revenue from. Instead, there is a grant in lieu that is paid for the use of that land and...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In fact, only 55 percent of clients who go through ICM are either born and raised or have been in Yellowknife for more than five years. The rest entirely, so 45 percent of all clients that are receiving services from ICM are from outside of Yellowknife, from other Northwest Territories' communities. Thank you.

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

Mr. Chair, it follows the same process as the rest of the main estimates. Thank you.