Caroline Wawzonek

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

Board of Management
Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Office
(867) 767-9143
Extension
12177
Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure, and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Mobile
867-445-7437
Minister
Email
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 158)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me see if the deputy minister has that quickly available, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 158)

Just waiting on the light, Madam Chair. Yes, that is correct, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 158)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, with me today, on my left, is Bill MacKay, the deputy minister of finance. And on my right is Terence Courtoreille, the deputy secretary to the financial management board.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 158)

Thank you, Madam Chair. 2026.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 157)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't know that I have that here right now. I can certainly make an inquiry as to whether or not. But I yes, I think there's I think we probably have an estimate. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Question 1533-19(2): Evacuee Compensation
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 157)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This program is now a policy of the GNWT, Mr. Speaker. Really, the conversation here began because we're cognizant that this is a community these are communities that have been under an evacuation now two years in a row. But in any event, that it's going to be available going forward.

As far as a difference between isolated versus non-isolated, again, Mr. Speaker, the emergency management process involves ensuring the availability of transport to any resident who is under an evacuation order. So just as there was busses available to support people who needed it coming...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 157)

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the price of fuel that was in the rate is $1. It is now market price, of course much higher at $1.50, which is roughly a 40 percent increase. And power generation for communities is exempt from the carbon tax application. Thank you.

Question 1533-19(2): Evacuee Compensation
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 157)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so just briefly, firstly, this is all available online if anyone wants to have a look at it if they're in a capacity to do that. But in short, anyone over the age of 17 who's been subject to an evacuation order of seven days or more and who has had some sort of income disruption or income loss as a result of that, they can apply. You don't have to have been evacuated. We certainly want to encourage people when they're under an evacuation order to please evacuate. It's not there for anything less than necessity. But also didn't want to exclude the fact that...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 157)

Thank you, Madam Chair. It right now is if I'm it's allocated and designated for arts specifically under the SEED program, which is administered by ITI. I can't say that it's then further broken down as being for any particular region or community. I believe it is based on applications and, you know, again, I yes, I think it's applicationbased. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 157)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it is challenging to be able to provide electricity to a very small number of ratepayers scattered across a very wide geographic region. Many, if not the vast majority, of which of those communities are not connected one to the other, let alone any of us, to any larger grid. So there certainly is we've heard announced today the Inuvik Wind Project is one project that is moving forward, that is looking for an alternative, to increase an alternative to diesel. And certainly to the extent that there might be some additional at some point we're going to...