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

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

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

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is certainly some nuances that are different as between the two. I mean, we also look at the number of public servants and if there's obviously an increase in public servants, that can also drive it. There's cost of airfares that have increased. Again, some expectations of getting back to having more regular dental clinics and clinicians in communities and just things that are not unfolding as we would have predicted or hoped. But, you know, yes, to some degree the dental costs are driving both with those nuances considered. So, again, that's where I say I think...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Sure, thank you, Mr. Chair. There's obviously been a number of items where I've offered to return back to committee. Some will certainly take longer than others. Others I expect we can get back fairly quickly. It's been my practice, if possible, that given that they would be responses here on the floor that we would make it you know, we'll give it as a document or a letter that can be tabled in the House so that it could form part of the public record. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I mean, in this exact moment we are compliant, but depending on where the final numbers come in at the end of the fiscal year and all reconciliations and accountings are complete, if we are running a deficit there could become you do a complete calculation in terms of the available balance for the to provide for the 50 percent of capital funding. If the deficit becomes too significant, there is a risk that we would be offside of that in terms of not meeting the 50 percent. However, within that policy, there is a twoyear timeline within which, if there is an...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, it doesn't. That was a good example of the bilateral agreement. Perhaps initially not quite an action as intended but then brought back into the front of mind and being utilized thereafter hopefully as intended. No, this sup appropriation reflects the fact that money can be carried over, and in this point there's some unspent funding that's being that gets held over but can be brought forward, and that's the situation that we find ourselves in, and that money is being brought forward. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So these are demand this is demand driven as I understand it. So I can start one at a time.

We've got the referred diagnostic laboratory services. That is a funding shortfall to the laboratory services that we are under contract. So we send materials for testing to Dynalife Medical Labs, and it's a multiyear contract. They're set fees. If our usage goes up, then we have to pay more.

Under chemotherapy drugs, similarly, Mr. Chair, if we wind up having a greater uptake or greater usage of those or a need, then the costing will, again, go up.

And similarly, radiology...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

There we go. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I've lost my train of thought with all the physical activity there. But so it is a SEED program. There's a SEED directive that was issued back in the summer. The SEED directive provides details on eligibility and application process. I believe the application form is online if I'm not mistaken. And that application and that SEED directive is effective until March 31st of this year. This is the first chance given the election for us to come forward and seek a supplementary appropriation for funding that would have been received from CanNor. The Department of...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think so.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd be more than happy to report back. I can say certainly beginning in the last government, I had an opportunity to have some Saskatchewan Research Council folks meet with members of our government, senior officials. I'd like to follow up on that work myself. I do know the GNWT is a part of a federal, provincial, territorial SMI working group that's led by Enercan or Natural Resources Canada. So we do have our finger on the pulse of what's happening but, again, a bit of pressure never hurts to be making sure that we are at the forefront of those...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we certainly do have the trends tracked since 20192020. I can share that with the Members if that's of interest.

There is a significant growth in the last couple of years, and I would say that that does track with what's being seen, I believe, over in the Department of Health and Social Services as well. One of the most significant impacts we've seen has been as a result of dental appointments which postCOVID so, again, looking at the last two years and it's postCOVID is the dental services in communities and regions have not been reestablished, and that has...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On March 1st there will be increased foster care rates coming in determined after historically similar to looking at CPI. So with CPI being high, the rates go up. Thank you.