Kieron Testart

Member Range Lake

Kieron Testart was elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly to represent the constituency of Range Lake.

Mr. Testart was born on March 22, 1985, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He was raised in the Northwest Territories, first residing in Tuktoyaktuk and later in Yellowknife, where Mr. Testart now lives with his family, his diverse background and wealth of experiences have shaped his commitment to community development and effective governance.

Mr. Testart was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kam Lake in the 18th Legislative Assembly, where he demonstrated a keen understanding of the issues facing his constituents. Beyond his legislative roles, Kieron has contributed significantly to the economic development of the region. Serving as the Director of Economic Development for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation from 2021 to 2023. Mr. Testart’s commitment to education and language advocacy is evident in his role as Program Coordinator for Canadian Parents for French from 2020 to 2021. His efforts have extended to policy analysis within the Government of the Northwest Territories and serving as Deputy Sheriff from 2009 to 2014.

Academically, Kieron holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Lethbridge (2004-2009) and a Certificate in Parliamentary Governance from McGill University (2017).

Married to Colleen, he is the proud father of Corbin, Eve, and Leander. In addition to his professional pursuits, Kieron finds joy in various hobbies and interests, including a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport, a love for film and theatre, grassroots activism, and an avid curiosity about international affairs.

Kieron's commitment to community extends beyond the political realm. As a dedicated volunteer, he has been actively involved in various capacities, including serving on the NWT Federal Liberal Association Board of Directors since 2011, contributing to the Liberal Party of Canada. His volunteer experience also includes a position on the NWT Branch Board of Directors for Canadian Parents for French from 2014 to 2020 and mentoring youth with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada in 2014-2015.

Range Lake Electoral District

Committees

Member Kieron Testart
Range Lake
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 37)

Thank you. And I think the youth council's proving how effective it could be at raising these issues, and I just want to acknowledge the Minister's response to my first question where she committed to provide that information, and I thank for her that, so do the youth council I'm sure.

I think some of these problems, Mr. Speaker, could be solved if this was a revenue neutral tax where there was a clear indication of where all the revenues went instead of just general revenue, which is how it appears in the report. Will the Minister commit to a revenue neutral tax breaking out how the money is...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 37)

Thank you. Can the Minister explain why the program is designed to run with surpluses like this? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 37)

That's interesting because no one I've spoken to has heard about this people plan or that it was -- or that it's going to roll out in 2025. Can the Minister commit to going back to -- hosting a town hall, another town hall, where she can attend and explain this directly to workers? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For me, at least, it's not a problem of understanding. As my colleague said moments ago, I'm kind of briefed out. What I do understand is that the workers who are in our health care system providing the service don't feel like their concerns are met. The Minister just spoke to a people plan. Can she elaborate further. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I've spoken to many of the participants in that town hall. Many of those staff have mentioned their concerns that they do a lot of work mentoring other staff, helping them with their concerns, and they feel like there's not a transparent, non-biased staff person whose job is to go back and specifically take their feedback and issues with an open mind. Last budget, we asked the Minister to explore the implementation of an office of practitioner experience or some sort of dedicated ombud-like role that staff can bring their concerns to that can get worked on. That...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 37)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to reassure the Minister that it's not just Yellowknife Members who are advocating for our health care workers; it's everyone on this side of the House up and down the Valley. So, Mr. Speaker, it's important as well that health care is not understaffed. The Minister just spoke to this. The staff that we do have are being forced to work long hours, sometimes 12-hour shifts without breaks. How is the Minister going to ensure frontline staff, such as emergency room doctors and nurses, are not overworked and not tired, burnt out, and unable to provide high...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 36)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again, it's that time of year to start cranking up our heaters and plugging in our vehicles as the temperatures increasingly drop overnight. Yes, we are all accustomed to winter seasons, but what many of us are unprepared for is ba winter season in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

Keeping homes warm is increasingly becoming a struggle for too many -- far too many Northerners who can't afford the rising costs of heating fuel. And this can only get worse as economic opportunities dry up. An unsurprising consequence of this drop in a standard of...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 36)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to rise in support of this piece of legislation. Bill 15 represents a very important relationship that this government has with First Nations and Indigenous governments across the territory. This bill will establish trust that will allow around half a billion of dollars of money to flow into the Northwest Territories for a whole bunch of purposes around conservation, Indigenous guardian programs, economic development, and the list does go on; it's quite exhaustive. And I think one other thing that's very remarkable is the speed at which the...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 36)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will close discussion. So I was contemplating reading at length from Tabled Document 204-20(1), which is the patient survey that the Member for Yellowknife Centre and I brought forward to the House. I'm not going to do that. The document speaks for itself. But I do encourage everyone, in particular our Cabinet colleagues, to read that document and see in their own words what practitioners, members of the public, said in that survey. I think it's valuable to let them tell their own stories, and we'll continue to hear their -- we'll continue to hear those stories...