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

Caroline Wawzonek
Yellowknife South
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

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

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 89)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the office of the chief public health or the Office of the Chief Public Health Authority or office, that is the entity that is solely responsible for determining the risk factors under which the current restrictions are created, what they contain, and that is because we've always put our faith in the hands of medical science and not necessarily in politicians to be making those determinations. That said, Madam Speaker, we have continued to work closely, both myself and in both of my roles as Minister of Finance, Minister of ITI, do meet regularly with...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the modules there are points along the way where one can or actually to advance, you have to complete a test and does check in on what you have taken out of a certain section or out of a certain module in order to move forward. So there's those internal tests along the way. Yes, those are not necessarily being monitored by a manager or by someone's supervisor. But, Mr. Speaker, perhaps what I would like to do is to go back to the departments, see what we with do. You know, the point of the training isn't necessarily to score people. It's to...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll bring this to my colleagues. I know they're all listening. This is mandatory for all staff. This is one of those policies that is coordinated out of the Department of Finance through human resources. There was a real recognition of how important this was, and a lot of effort and time and collaboration, internal and external, went into these materials, so. It's already a priority but I'll certainly recommit to reinforcing that and to confirming with the Member as we do that. I want us all to be held accountable for taking this training. It is very good...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 4, 20202021, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 4, 20202021, be read for the second time.

This bill sets out limits on supplementary amounts that may be borrowed by the Commissioner on behalf of the government and authorizes the making of disbursements to pay the principal of supplementary amounts borrowed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 42, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20212022fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Consolidated Budgets 20212022 of the Government of the Northwest Territories; Public Service Annual Report for 20202021; and, the Report of Special Warrants issued June to November of 2021. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 88)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's view. That is not what we want to be hearing and there was actually quite a number of, what I thought fairly clever, controls put in place and it wasn't the first time the Member raised that with myself and so the department's well aware. Techniques were used you can't advance very far unless you have sort of gone through the motions of clicking through various items. You either have to read a certain number or you have to view a certain number of videos or dialogs in order to advance. So there's some interesting ways in there that...