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

Board of Management
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Office
(867) 767-9143
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Mobile
867-445-7437
Minister
Email
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. There was a requirement to do that, and the budget that's in the capital plan before you does reflect that. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, my understanding is that so firstly, that the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment did provide SEED funding to the band at their request. They made an application for a contribution to their fishery initiative, which is what gave them the opportunity to put this asset into use. And then as I said, there's and that's quite common that you know, whether it's a community band or community government or local organization or individual or business, they approach ITI through SEED for access to funding, whether for tourism initiatives or other...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I would suggest that asking about the contingency plans for GNWT's, and really the NWT's energy security, is probably a reasonable question for every community in the Northwest Territories. I don't know that there's anything particularly more or less urgent here. You know, the current plant does still have life. It is still functional in that regard. It is at least at the planning stage to move forward for a more secure long term and sustainable location. We, you know, again are taking that message to the federal government because any projects that we had...

Committee Motion 469-19(2): Tabled Document 973-19(2): 2024-2025 Capital Estimates – Deferral of Estimates, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, it would depend. And it would depend, again, if I mean, and, really, there are other steps that we could take to ensure that we remain in compliance. If the advance from the federal government were to come in, if other anticipated transfer amounts come in, and that offsets, you know, the outlays of cash that are going out by bringing in more, then we may not find ourselves in as difficult a position. Right now, that's our projection is that over the course of this fall, we will need something extra and if we didn't have that something extra then, yes, we wind up...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't think there's any limitations to doing so under cover of confidentiality subject to being corrected. But assuming that that's fine.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I in the last few years of sitting here, I have not seen anything come across in the capital plans that would have considered as a ferry option, so I don't know what the full history of that might be. But I can tell you with respect to the other part of the question and public consultation, there actually have been some recent public consultations in the region around specifically the land and the access and the lead points on the bridge. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Mr. Martin, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have a Fort Providence campground in the capital plan. So there isn't anything anticipated for Fort Providence in the 20242025 plan. I'm not sure if there was maybe a surrounding area campground, if that's what the question was about. But nothing for the community of Fort Providence. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 164)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to go to ADM Brennan one more time and it certainly can yes, let's do that for now, please.