Caroline Wawzonek

Députée de Yellowknife Sud

Première ministre adjointe
Ministre des Finances
Ministre responsable de la Société d’énergie des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Ministre responsable de l’infrastructure stratégique, de l’énergie et des chaînes d’approvisionnement

Caroline Wawzonek a été élue pour la première fois à la 19e Assemblée législative en 2019, comme représentante de Yellowknife Sud. Elle a été ministre de la Justice, ministre des Finances, ministre responsable de la condition de la femme, et ministre de l’Industrie, du Tourisme et de l’Investissement. En 2023, Mme Wawzonek a été élue par acclamation à la 20e Assemblée législative et a réintégré le Conseil exécutif en tant que première ministre adjointe, ministre des Finances, ministre de l’Infrastructure et ministre responsable de la Société d’énergie des TNO.

Mme Wawzonek a obtenu un baccalauréat ès arts de l’Université de Calgary en 2000 et un diplôme en droit de la faculté de droit de l’Université de Toronto en 2005. Son parcours universitaire comprend des études de langues en Chine et à Taïwan, ainsi que des stages de droit aux Philippines et en Angleterre. Mme Wawzonek est née à Calgary (Alberta) et habite Yellowknife depuis 2007.

Une fois admise au Barreau des TNO, Mme Wawzonek a mis sur pied sa propre pratique du droit pénal et a plaidé à tous les échelons du système judiciaire des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, et s’est souvent déplacée dans les collectivités ténoises à cet effet. Elle a ensuite intégré le cabinet d’avocats Dragon Toner, élargissant sa pratique au litige général et au droit administratif jusqu’à ce qu’elle devienne députée de la 19e Assemblée.

Depuis 2007, Mme Wawzonek a assumé de nombreux rôles de leadership au sein de la communauté juridique : elle a notamment été présidente du Barreau des Territoires du Nord-Ouest et présidente de section pour la division des Territoires du Nord-Ouest de l’Association du Barreau canadien, et a participé à divers groupes de travail. Son engagement envers la collectivité l’a amenée à œuvrer dans de multiples organisations de Yellowknife et, en 2017, elle a reçu un prix national soulignant le travail de femmes canadiennes œuvrant dans le domaine du droit.

Mère de deux enfants, Caroline Wawzonek aime courir, faire de la planche à pagaie et passer du temps à l’extérieur.

Committees

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife Sud
Bureau

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Boîte
1320
Extension
12177
Vice-premier ministre, Ministère des finances, Ministre de l'Infrastructure, Ministre responsable de la Société d'énergie des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
Mobile
Ministre

Déclarations dans les débats

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 132)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, Members of the House do receive the fiveyear plan. Again, consensus government's a little bit different. This isn't necessarily how it would happen in a lot of governments elsewhere in Canada. But we do have that opportunity here to do things a bit differently. So Members do receive that. The public doesn't get a copy of the fiveyear plan, and the real and simple reason for that is the concern around ensuring fairness in the procurement process. If a total budget is put forward on a project, then there is a live concern amongst procurement that, in fact...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 132)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as MLAs, one of the platforms that we use to raise support for causes is here in the Chamber. Younger generations, meanwhile, are often very effective on platforms like TikTok and YouTube to get their voices out to those who will listen. One of my young constituents is one of those youths using social media platforms very effectively, and I want her to know that people are listening.

She had recently posted to Facebook a video sharing the reality of what too many young people are still facing every day at school. The video showed, for example, what...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I have fairly brief comments today. I did want to, however, acknowledge that in this particular budget, as in all budgets, both the main operating budget as well as capital, in consensus government we have an opportunity to engage in discussions that are, I think, expected, and that makes it, hopefully, more cordial than what it might be if it were what is a traditional minority government in southern Canada, or other parts of Canada rather. And because we expect the process to occur, there's some formalities to it. That doesn't mean the process doesn't improve...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I certainly can provide that data. I don't have the number in front of me right now on the fly, but I can certainly commit to get that to the Member. And I'll have it before tomorrow if she wants to follow up on it. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 69, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023, be read for the second time. This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20222023 fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, at the appropriate time today, I will table Changing the Relationship, the final action plan in response to the Calls for Justice on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples. At its core, this action plan is about relationships Our relationships with institutions, governments, people, and history.

The national inquiry examined the causes contributing to the ongoing violence and systematic vulnerabilities that continue to disproportionately affect Indigenous women, girls and two spirit persons. They found that the thousands of truths shared reinforce...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Madam Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 70, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm also taking this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Thagard. I am also taking this opportunity to say that this is a chance for Yellowknife South to have the most fantastical and wonderful tourism attraction because if he is the longest serving Member anywhere in Canada, we should get maybe a big spin bike at the entrance to Yellowknife South since he happens to be a resident. So congratulations, thank you, and welcome to our new Sergeant-at-Arms.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, part of the hesitancy is I want to make sure that whatever I'm saying is accurate and compliant with what's in the collective agreement and with what is in the public service manual. So just ensuring, you know, that I am accurate with that, I would certainly say that, you know, each individual public servant does have the ability to go and speak to their supervisor and is able to speak to their supervisor about what their circumstances might be, including medical circumstances, and it would certainly be my expectation in line with any other time for the...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 131)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, that's certainly not my intention. It may happen to be an election year coming up but at the present time that's still quite far away. And the way that the budget cycle works, the budget that we're preparing now is based on main estimates process where based on a business planning process that started back in June. Again, this is sort of full circle. The reason we do budget dialogues in the spring and summer is because that's when departments are actually preparing their materials going into the next year. And while I certainly have said in the context...