Last month Caroline Wawzonek told NNSL she plans to run for MLA of Yellowknife South in the upcoming territorial election.

But the lawyer first started thinking about running after the last election.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was involved with Jan Fullerton at the time so I got a bit of an insight into what elections look like and how the campaign process works,SA国际影视传媒� said Wawzonek.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e always been pretty politically aware, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 a different thing to see it first hand.SA国际影视传媒�

As a parent of two children, Wawzonek said running for office is an opportunity to look at their future in Yellowknife.

SA国际影视传媒淚 want them to have the same kind of opportunities and lifestyle that my husband and I have had here and thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of uncertainty right now in the North,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淭he economySA国际影视传媒檚 got a lot of uncertainty around it and at the same time, I feel like we have so much opportunity. So in some ways, I feel like itSA国际影视传媒檚 a time of real tension but itSA国际影视传媒檚 a time of so much opportunity and ISA国际影视传媒檝e got these two kids that I owe it to.SA国际影视传媒�

This is WawzonekSA国际影视传媒檚 first time running for political office and she hopes to tackle a number of pressing issues, like managing a resource based-economy in a region thatSA国际影视传媒檚 warming twice as fast as the rest of the world.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have an economy thatSA国际影视传媒檚 founded on resource industry, but weSA国际影视传媒檙e also the front lines of climate change,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e really have to find a way to balance that and to have a really united vision. ISA国际影视传媒檓 not always sure that we do. I think thereSA国际影视传媒檚 really strong visions right now in the government which are sometimes maybe not across the government. So ISA国际影视传媒檇 love to be part of a government that really says, hereSA国际影视传媒檚 these challenges and these opportunities and hereSA国际影视传媒檚 how weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to make that all work together.SA国际影视传媒�

Other items on her to-do list include a 360-degree review of every single regulation in the Northwest Territories.

SA国际影视传媒淲ouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 it be interesting to know whether thereSA国际影视传媒檚 different departments that maybe have some overlap, where we donSA国际影视传媒檛 need to kind of do things two times,SA国际影视传媒� she explained.

Before she was a member of the legal team at Dragon Toner, Wawzonek ran her own criminal defence practice in Yellowknife for five years.

SA国际影视传媒淭he way ISA国际影视传媒檝e approached my job as a lawyer is that ISA国际影视传媒檓 there to help people and businesses solve their problems using laws and regulations given to us by government,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淪ometimes itSA国际影视传媒檚 to navigate their way through it, sometimes itSA国际影视传媒檚 to challenge ones that we say arenSA国际影视传媒檛 working very well.SA国际影视传媒�

Having spent her professional life on that side of the legal, political and justice systems, Wawzonek feels she has a lot to offer on the other side, including looking at ways to improve the justice system.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 so much we could do to deliver more community-level justice and more community involvement and be, I would say, national leaders in a more restorative way of presenting justice,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think nationwide, itSA国际影视传媒檚 the right time to start having that conversation and why not the delivery of justice in the North first?SA国际影视传媒�

Wawzonek feels very strongly about building the human side of infrastructure and Yellowknife has a very resilient population base, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淭he North has such a strong sense of community, but then we have high rates of mental health issues, addictions, poverty,SA国际影视传媒� said Wawzonek.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd if we could only find a way to start to overcome some of those problems and then combine that with the resiliency of the community, wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 we be a phenomenal force?SA国际影视传媒�

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 not enough to build the economy and infrastructure to support it she said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e need to build human infrastructure. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e going to have a stronger economy if we have a stronger human resource capacity to be part of that economy.SA国际影视传媒�

When it comes to mental health supports in Yellowknife, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 very little in the way of locally-based aftercare when people return from treatment, she added.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e invested all these resources in taking someone and having them treated, often (out of territory),SA国际影视传媒� said Wawzonek. SA国际影视传媒淏ut they need to come back to somewhere and then have supports to put those things into practice in their daily lives.SA国际影视传媒�

In terms of education, the prospect of the polytechnic university in the city is both overdue and exciting for Wawzonek.

SA国际影视传媒淲e should be looking at it from the perspective of the students,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淲hat would students need to be an effective education institution that they want to come to? And ISA国际影视传媒檓 not sure thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a perspective weSA国际影视传媒檙e hearing enough of.SA国际影视传媒�

There are pros and cons to consensus government said Wawzonek.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut you get a lot of different people there with a lot of different backgrounds and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 such an exciting thing because youSA国际影视传媒檙e bringing the community together to make decisions,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

If elected, Wawzonek said she plans to bring a high level of integrity and commitment to the role of MLA.

SA国际影视传媒淢e personally, ISA国际影视传媒檇 say ISA国际影视传媒檓 very passionate, I care very deeply about people, I care very deeply about the North," she said.

"With my kids, I say you donSA国际影视传媒檛 make a promise you canSA国际影视传媒檛 keep. But once you say youSA国际影视传媒檙e going to do something, you better do your best to follow through on it.SA国际影视传媒�