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, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know we've been sending over updates along the way as the work has progressed. I'm happy to send another one before the end of the life of this Assembly so that all Members are well aware of where it's at. And, certainly, it's also part of our own business planning processes that we are continuing to report on where this work is at. And so all of those all of those tools can be used but, as I've said, happy to give one more further update to Members of this House and this Legislative Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, if what is being referenced here is the again, the regulations are contemplating having a base amount for everyone community and then a per capita amount for every community to address the fact that there will be needs in every small community but then also needs associated to greater populations. That is part of what's before the House today. Thank you.
Oh, Mr. Speaker, another one that I'd like to speak at about for some length. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a strong yes. I just don't quite know how it's going to unfold yet. That is a big ask.
The Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, we are not going to be able to last on diesel for the next ten years. That much is clear. Whether that will be in the form of the Taltson project, which we have spoken about in the House already and which has already a lot of interest in it, not the least of which is from the lithium companies, or whether we'll be looking for some other path forward. Mr...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the carbon tax was happening whether we did it ourselves or not. I can say with respect to the communities, again just a reminder that, you know, income assistance certainly is currently to cover the costs as it would for their clients' housing, Northwest Territories covers costs for their clients. But as to a calculation for the amount that would go to communities under the current amendments that are before the House, again, right now, there's a calculation, it's in subsection (5) describing what needs to be calculated. It requires knowing the total...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is, indeed, a well, again, bringing more expertise to bear from different areas in some ways can tackle what is really a very complex problem. So what we do have here is the teams are coming together. It's led by health and social services, so there is a team lead on it. Obviously from the perspective of commercial food production, commercial food growing, that is where ITI's expertise comes in. But this interdepartmental group involves multiple departments because it brings together, again, as I said, all these different areas and issues. I mean, I...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the numbers are only just beginning to I mean, the change only happened just this past July. So I don't yet necessarily know how much carbon tax revenue there will be. As soon as the calculation can be made, then the payments can be made.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed, this is an area where, while health and social services is the lead for food security generally, ITI certainly plays a significant role, and we are responsible for the agricultural sector as well as for community gardens and providing some funds to them. I certainly know, and I'm confident that the department is working directly with communities, that regional superintendents are working with those communities, and are tracking the amounts of growth in the sector. There, indeed, has been a lot of growth in the community garden sector. And in...
Mr. Speaker, no one should wait. No one should wait. And, Mr. Speaker, I would encourage people the Department of Finance does now have a full online reporting mechanism around Indigenous employment and around the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework. It includes all of the different steps that we had put to ourselves to achieve under the framework. It also now has publicized the targets for hiring of Indigenous candidates, and reporting on all of the implementation of that has begun. So no one should wait. That should be a tool, and the department should be held to it. All...
Thank you, Madam Chair. On my left, I have Kelly Mahoney, the director of policy, legislation, and communications. And on my right, Victoria Carmichael, legislative drafter.
