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.
Mr. Speaker, this too has been the subject of the review itself and is subject of discussion amongst those participating in the various reviews, both during the review formally and since in terms of discussions with businesses and Indigenous governments. There's opportunities both for the potential for penalties. There's also potentially the opportunity for incentives. And I'm not going to commit one way or the other at this point. I'm not going to jump to the conclusion of where the review's going to go other than to say that there does need to be a way by where once an analysis has been done...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are Crown corporations who are not subject to the same procurement rules as the GNWT. For example, the NTPC does follow their own procurement rules. That said, they are guided and fairly closely align with what the GNWT does. So certainly I expect that they will benefit as well from the work that we are doing and can certainly follow my colleagues who are also responsible for the various corporations to see that we are working towards being as consistent with one with the other as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following five documents: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2219(2): Report on Telecommunications; Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2319(2): Report on the Review of a 201819 and 201920 Public Accounts; Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2119(2): Report on the Government of the Northwest Territories Approach to the Mining Regime Fiscal Review; Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 202223 Corporate Plan and; Annual Report...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 112)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a word, yes. I have found we've appeared in front of standing committee now numerous times on different parts of the process. The Mineral Resources Act regs generally but also on royalties specifically. And those are fruitful. They're helpful. In the one case, it resulted in changes to one of the discussion papers. So, yes, most certainly, Mr. Speaker, happy to make that commitment.
And I want to note, Mr. Speaker, it was pointed out that one of the Members of IGCS had attended the briefing. It's not the usual process here that other Members would...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 112)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad that my title has been corrected. I do feel better standing up with the right name for the right Minister.
On this matter, Mr. Speaker, firstly, there are a number of different things happening in terms of what's happening with the Mineral Resources Act regulations.
Firstly, with respect to the royalties portion, as the Member's already mentioned, it's a complex thing that's being developed right now. That element was opened back in February. Comments are welcome until July the 29th for public engagement. That was extended from April the 22nd all...
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 30th, 2022, I will present Bill 53, An Act to Amend the Liquor Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 112)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, with respect to public engagement, there's a standard position which is that any operational or any draft regulations get no less than 30 days, and that's that will certainly be abided by that guideline. But, Mr. Speaker, it's my intention that we'll be going on for longer than that.
It is, you know, as I've been saying, and as been said here by others, these are complex regulations; they are going to require more time. So they'll be posted to the engagement website as usual. Information will go out through social media as well as through other more...
Debates of
, 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 112)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, this is an extremely complex piece of legislation that's going to be enacted and as a result, the regulations themselves also are unusually complex, and we are always being mindful at every step, again, of the process and of the work that's taking place with the IGCS.
Mr. Speaker, I can say, and in keeping in mind the rules that we have here in a consensus government, that back on May the 12th we did provide a list of the research documents completed as of that time to standing committee and, certainly, if there are documents within that that...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll sort of reference again a bit of what happened more under COVID19 not as a full response. I realize that what's happening now is different but I want to give the example so that folks know exactly the approach that this government plans to take and that I would it be taking with the departments for which I am responsible.
When we came back in January and omicron was still rearing its head, no one quite knew how that would unfold, I asked that we make a point to check in with the chambers of commerce so that we could better understand directly from them...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are constantly revising both the fiscal framework for the GNWT and revising the general outlook for the economy. We are doing that work, both the Department of Finance's responsible in terms of understanding our revenue forecast, you know, understanding our growth and our expenditures, the impacts of, you know, fuel costs, inflation, interest costs on us. I know that that work also happens at ITI in terms of understanding costs to business, understanding impacts, again for instance freight costs, transportation costs. And similarly, Mr. Speaker, I know...
