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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe there are still conversations underway right now with the Department of Finance on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories and NorthwesTel. We were also involved just this past summer and into the fall in terms of producing -- or, rather, providing completion of a fibre line all the way up into Tuktoyaktuk, and stemming from those conversations we were -- again, this is part of the -- part of the bigger conversation that's happening with them about how we can maximize the services in the telecommunications space in the Northwest...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 34)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories is a part owner on a P3 which is the Mackenzie Valley fibre line that goes up the Mackenzie Valley. And recently, we are now connected in to a project that goes through the Yukon which is creating a loop that goes down into British Columbia. So we are well underway to having a loop that connects all throughout the two territories. And of course then beyond that, there are services that go down into Alberta through our line or through British Columbia through the other line. So once that is all in place, Mr...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 13, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there was a lot of nodding at this table when the question was posed. So as far as being cognizant of the possibility that this could create another way in which to bring assets and supplies in, you know, yes, the answer is yes. As far as it -- my understanding, there was a fairly old dated business case for the Slave Geological Province that is in rather dire need of update. We're not, again, at that stage yet. But that -- yes, again, the short answer is that definitely creates the potential for a corridor. I mean, you know, as I said earlier, really, if...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, these are fairly small-scale projects. For example, some of the projects I was describing are under $100,000 or sitting at around $250,000, and for lighting, it's not -- those aren't necessarily projects that are, you know, significant. Heating upgrades, similarly $100,000. So my point with that simply being that while we don't necessarily have everything lined up at this point early on, this is for the 2025-2026 season which does provide a fair bit of time and a fair bit of room to still maneuver, so there will be some money that could lapse certainly but at...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to be quite frank that building morale and changing morale and changing culture are more difficult than simply the action plan or the specific action item in any particular framework. It is really about creating cultures of change and showing the culture of change within the public service. So I do want to acknowledge that it is critical that the public service return to a place of good morale. It's been a difficult few years in the territory for a number of reasons, and that will no doubt affect people's state of well-being in the workplace as well...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, Taltson is contemplated to be revenue generating. Not necessarily in huge dollars but it depends. The issue is we are dependent or expecting that there would be industrial load added by having the Taltson construction. So, for instance, even right now with the overhaul that is expected to hopefully be fully absorbed, that excess energy would be fully absorbed by the Pine Point line. To do the expansion, it certainly links south and north and a significant number of communities. But to be revenue generating depends on there being at least another one, if not...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, let me see if I can kind a list (audio). I think everyone is -- the work plan for 2025-2026, Mr. Chair, we have a -- there are some items that are in Gameti, the school, then Gameti has some upgrading. Yellowknife is getting upgrading to the Tatsaoti'ne building, a district heating system. Fort McPherson, Chief Julius School, heat recovery optimization. Sachs Harbour's school is getting heating upgrades. There's some funding allotted for LED lighting upgrades in both fthe Sahtu and South Slave that's yet to be completely finalized. Deh Cho, Fort Simpson, again...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've had a sneak peek. I can tell you that it's going to be tabled here in the House next week so certainly don't want to give too much away. But in the theme of a teaser, let's say that the number of exits by resignations is down from 523 down to 480 in 2023-2024. The number of exits down -- and generally down overall from 951 in 2022-2023 to 810 overall in 2023-2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this project initially came to -- into play for the GNWT before my time even in this House. And so its initial conception did not go through the same exact processes that we have now put into place today. But understanding the kinds of potential outcomes -- and I'm just trying to get to the substantiation sheet where there's a macroeconomic analysis lens that has since been applied to the project, due to the time, to try and determine what some of the benefits would be. Sorry, Mr. Chair, I'm just looking through -- oh, Mr. Chair, look, it's coming right at me...