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

Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Mobile
Minister
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't know that any parties to any contracts want to end up in any kind of dispute resolution mechanism. I mean, that's I'd go so far as to say they don't. That's not the preferred course of action for anyone related to a contract, including the GNWT. We can't certainly control when entities want to make claims against the GNWT. There are times where that is going to happen. And this happened in this particular instance. Again, it's an almost $200 million project. And that was back starting in, you know, now a decade ago so certainly worth, no doubt...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, ISSS or information shared system services within Finance is now managing the LTOS project so that's why it is going there. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, I will present Bill 84, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, well, depending on the timing of it, there can certainly be, you know, a cash flow situation that would require a shortterm debt but in general at this point in the fiscal year, we can look back and say that that if there was a projected surplus, then this these amounts come out of whatever that projected surplus would be or eats into that, as you might say, which then, in turn, takes away money that would be available for the capital investments. And in this case, there was a projected surplus and that, between the supplementary appropriations and the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. We're just looking to see if we had looked for a revenue number earlier. I just don't know if I had received it in. Let me see if we can find it quickly and if not perhaps provide it we'll have to I don't know that we'll have it here today, Madam Chair. Sorry.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't know if we have a total here but perhaps I'll suggest we turn to Ms. Melanson. She might have some further information that she could provide. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Additional Information for Written Question 6119(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Sole Source Contracting under Procurement Criteria 1.8.2(a); Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Corporate Plan, 20232024; and, Northwest Territories Innovation Action Plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, Madam Chair, just of note, we might make a change on the infrastructure sups in terms of the language of using supplementary reserve because I appreciate that that is a confusing way of putting it. But there is a supplementary reserve for operations. It started off at $35,000, but as a result of the appropriations and the supplementary appropriations, including the proposed one at present, we are expecting to be in a deficit of negative $77 million to $422,000.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this should be the sum total of it. At this point, there are no other outstanding claims or matters that are brought to our attention and certainly at some point, as parties would be aware, there are limitation periods that are attached, particularly to this type of matter. I am not anticipating anything further of this nature. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 150)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So there's two reallocations taken out from the secondment program and the knowledge economy. The knowledge economy is sunsetting. That work's been complete, and that money is no longer needed there. It's at a different stage now. The secondment program, there was a position that was no longer required and so the secondment agreement was cancelled. So there's surplus money sitting in those two, and it's been reallocated to three things. One, the NWT producer incentive pilot program, which is within the film industry for $100,000; the MRA implementation process for 125...