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

Board of Management
Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Caroline_wawzonek@ntassembly.ca
Office
(867) 767-9143 (link is a phone number)
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Mobile
867-445-7437(link is a phone number)
Minister
Email
Caroline_wawzonek@gov.nt.ca

Statements in Debates

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, that's an excellent idea, not one that I can say I can speak to whether or not right now. Actually, well right at this moment that was not the scope of the work but let me take that one away. That may be an opportunity to see that we do, in fact, combine those systems. Thank you.

Committee Motion 24-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates, Deferral of Department – Infrastructure, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Yes, please.

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Arctic Energy Alliance is one area where we were looking at what options there might have been for some reductions in line with other opportunities looking for reductions in other programs and projects, and this is one there has been a slight reduction as a result of that review. Thank you.

Committee Motion 24-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates, Deferral of Department – Infrastructure, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think this is actually a fairly important series of accounts to look at or numbers to look at in the main estimates. This is money that is paid on debt. So this is the money that we pay to the banks. This has no asset in the Northwest Territories, no program or service that is being serviced. It's just money that we're paying on the debt.

And well, yes, I am happy that there has been a small reduction in interest rates that had not you know, in the last couple of years, we had to come back when rates were not dropping as quickly as what was at times being...

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Chair. That was funding that was appropriated for the purpose of the Hay River harbour restoration. Thank you.

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Madam Chair, unfortunately not. If anything, it's actually the opposite. It winds up that to get those roads in, even for the shorter season, is also costing more. And then to maintain them through those seasons, through the season with the more volatile weather and greater number of storms, again is actually also costing more. And, in fact, I don't have numbers for actuals for this particular fiscal yet, but it is significantly more. Thank you.

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Member for Great Slave.

Committee Motion 24-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates, Deferral of Department – Infrastructure, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, Madam Chair, just first for any members of public who may be just want the explanation, just to be clear, this is medical travel for employees. It's an employee benefit, just as other private sector employers might provide benefits of some nature or another, this is the benefit that is provided to public servants. And we are let me just say first there has been a modest increase that's been proposed in the department for this line item from the main estimates of 20232024. So in the actual base budget, that has gone up by a couple of million.

There was a fairly...

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Committee Motion 23-20(1): Committee Report 2-20(1) – Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Bill 2: Missing Persons Act – Government Response, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 22)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, I can certainly consider it, but it's probably not going to happen.