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's Office
Email
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

I took that as a comment, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Madam Chair, I am going to add that to the commitment of information that we are going to get for the Member who has this interest in fishing.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Madam chair, certainly, a percentage of the total carry-overs from subsequent years certainly, this is the largest percentage over the course of several other years. The average hovers at just over 12 percent. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I am getting the answer is "no" right now. Thank you.

Question 310-19(2): Increased Use of Alternative Measures
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Nationally, departments of justice, provinces, and territories have all agreed that they would increase the use of alternative measures by 5 percent, or restorative justice by 5 percent, and we're no different from that. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to certainly aim higher than that; 5 percent isn't necessarily very much. Certainly, we are going to be looking, as we always do, as to how we can better continue to engage community justice committees, what we can do to make better use of those committees, and to encourage the use of alternative measures. Diversion numbers have...

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Madam Chair, I don't know. I don't have a target date in front of me. I'm not sure if the Minister of ECE has that available.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Madam Chair. If I could turn it over to the Minister of ITI, please.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Madam Chair, the largest number of the projects that are impacted here are the Investing in Canada infrastructure projects. Those are the ones that make up the largest chunk of this particular supplementary appropriation request. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

Thank you, Madam Chair. I understand that the projects are at different stages, and these are carry-overs, Madam Chair. I am forgetting that, as well. The carry-over amounts are different in terms of the projects. When you're comparing the carry-overs, you are not necessarily comparing the total value of the project, one to the other; you are comparing only the amount of carry-over, one project to the next. At this point, there are different cash-flow pressures on each project, and that in the one case, the one is simply, I suspect, further ahead than the other. As such, there is less of a...

Question 304-19(2): Injustice to Indigenous Corrections Employees
Debates of , 19th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 29)

The RCMP are the police force in the Northwest Territories by virtue of the Territorial Police Services Agreement. That is an agreement that we have through the federal Department of Justice, given that, indeed, the RCMP are a national police force. As such, we don't have operational control over their operations. We don't necessarily have the right or ability to direct, for example, who is hired, who is placed where, or how investigations are conducted. That said, Mr. Speaker, we do have the ability, through that agreement, to do what is called the Minister's police priorities. We do support...