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, Madam Chair. Yeah, Madam Chair, I don't have a detailed breakdown in a way that I think what I'm hearing is being asked for here. There are the costs, of course, for air tanker support, then there's the cost for the helicopter support, and then there's the cost for moving crews around. There are the fires that folks are watching that are impacting Fort Smith, Hay River, Kakisa, Jean Marie River, obviously Yellowknife, but there was also fires that were impacting all the way up the entire valley. This there's been an estimated 70 percent of the residents of the Northwest Territories...
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 96, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you might recall yesterday I think there were approximately 80 applications already in, and I can confirm that Department of Finance staff have been in direct contact with a number of those individuals to there was some I mean, the form is quite short but I gather there was some information still missing. So that first crop is going to be processed with either cheques or direct deposits to be issued by next week. And, again, you know, with the exchanges here hopefully more folks will be applying, and then those cheques again cheques or direct deposit...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This program does have a start and end date to it. Applications are, again, for anyone who is under an order of seven days or more. Anyone that was under that order and had income disruption should be looking at the form and considering making the application. The end date for accepting those applications is 30 days after the evacuation order was issued. There's not a lot of paperwork involved. There's not a lot of supporting documents involved. That was done intentionally so that folks can get this done as a fairly quick process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 160)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this whole session I've had two very hardworking pages from Yellowknife South, Mesha Leonce and Morgyn Martiniuk. I was hoping to catch a day when I knew they were both in the room, but I don't know I quite caught that. They're in the building, they've been doing this all week, and thank you very much for their hard work.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 4th Anniversary of the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The final report describes the dire situation faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBPTQIA+ people as genocide. It also delivers 231 Calls for justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians to affect change.
Since the release of the final report, the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken steps to begin to affect change so that Indigenous women, girls and...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to be very brief so there's no misunderstanding for the public. The money that's going towards NTPC isn't necessarily to support their operations. This is a rate stabilization fund increase, Mr. Speaker, and that is really quite specifically because given the costs of fuel, which everyone's experiencing, the government experiences it too and Northwest Territories Power Corporation experiences those increases in rates or increases in fuel, that winds up being an added cost that was not built in to the rates during the last rate process. Therefore, now, they...
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 95, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be read for a third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 95, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be read for the second time.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20232024fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
