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

Oral Question 759-19(2): Con Mine Dock
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just by way of preface, there's still a lot of work to be done in terms of any kind of design, the final design, which could look a variety of different ways. But in short, the main access, or the main interest area, indeed, is to create a fish collection station so that fishers can offload from the lake and have it shipped down to the, but then, hopefully, constructed plant in Hay River. And as such, this will be one of the associated sites that fishers around the lake can be attending. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

It's confirmed to me that the 75,000 is expected to be in fact ongoing.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Madam Chair, there are department staff watching these proceedings, and I think the comments will be well taken. Thank you.

Committee Motion 132-19(2): Tabled Document 412-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2021-2022 – Motion to Amend Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Carried
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding of the system is that it's the disaster assistance committee that has the ability to make the final decisions on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Oral Question 756-19(2): Government of the Northwest Territories – NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines Working Group
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think as I said at the beginning, this is an industry that contributes one third of the GDP of the Northwest Territories, over 1300 direct jobs in 2019, not to mention indirect jobs, over $813 million is spent in procurement. That's supporting all the other industries. If the Department of ITI wasn't having regular meetings with the industry representation, I would be facing very difficult questions in the House to explain why we aren't. There are regular working group meetings with the fisheries sector right now. I have regular meetings with Northwest...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 79)

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm here to present Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No 1, 20212022.

The supplementary estimates document proposes a total increase of $106.7 million comprised of the following major areas:

$99.3 million for infrastructure expenditures spending for projects that were not completed in 20202021. This amount is fully offset by lapses and appropriations in 20202021.

$2.5 million to increase the community public infrastructure funding to support communities in reducing the municipal funding gap.

That concludes my opening remarks, Madam...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the choices of where the collection stations are to go is a decision that is I think really looking to the fishers themselves to drive that decisionmaking. And that's where there is now a working group that is being set up and has begun to meet for those who are fishers, again all around the lake. So that exactly on questions like that, that consultation with them, that they are the ones that are actually driving where those sites go. You know, keeping in mind, of course, the role of DFO in that and the role of individual communities that may have may or...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think the Minister of ENR is quite keen to speak to this one, please.

Tabled Document 425-19(2): Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 2021-2022 Corporate Plan
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 78)

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act; and, Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 20212022 corporate plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.