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

Accountability and Oversight
Social Development
Public Accounts
Procedure and Privileges
Member Kieron Testart
Range Lake
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143

Statements in Debates

Question 230-18(3): Procurement Policies
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment about, you guessed it, procurement. Obviously, businesses continue to come forward, business owners continue to come forward. How is the department using procurement policies to level the playing field with southern companies that are doing business in the Northwest Territories, to give a competitive edge to northern businesses? Thank you.

Recorded Vote
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the chairman of the Committee of the Whole leave the chair to report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that the format of our proceedings might not accommodate the same kind of back and forth we have in other reviews, but I do appreciate all of the Members who spoke to this, the time that they have put in, and of course, the Minister's comments as well.

I am certainly not saying that we need, with definite certainty, a brick and mortar facility today, but there are a lot of people who feel that way, and I think the work that the standing committee has done has given new information to consider about the effectiveness of our addictions strategy.

Aftercare...

Question 230-18(3): Procurement Policies
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 23)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the Minister's clarity of purpose on this. There are a number of companies that are grandfathered in or are meeting a 50 per cent requirement that are still either owned in part or owned entirely by southern companies that can benefit from southern supply chains, so we are giving those companies a 20 per cent markup through their northern preference, even though they can double dip, so to speak, and benefit from southern markets. Is the Minister willing to look at those requirements and the list of grandfathered companies that are benefitting from...

Question 230-18(3): Procurement Policies
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 23)

It is interesting that the Minister is so confident in BIP's success because all the concerns I hear are about BIP. I already know he is not willing to reform BIP, to do a review of BIP to take action on these concerns. So, given the high-profile nature of several procurement issues -- I am talking about the Housing Corporation modular project in Hay River that the failure of the procurement policy resulted in the loss of 40 full-time jobs, a Minister's riding, by the way, Mr. Speaker, and, of course, the NTPC power generators ongoing affair, which is at least half a million dollars of...

Question 223-18(3): Electronic Medical Records System
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 22)

So, I have it here. The electronic medical record system is a system of patient information used in healthcare clinics for scheduling, longitudinal charting, and billing to support the delivery of patient care, and it's available to all health authorities, whereas the MediPatient system referred to in the Information and Privacy Commissioner report indicates that it's local hospital patient information used by several NWT health and social services authorities and includes admission, discharge, radiology, rehabilitation, and scheduling functions. So are some authorities still using the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 22)

Thank you. The component under design and technical services, is this just the department using existing resources or have they identified additional resources that are required to complete the action plan? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize my constituent, Ms. Sharon Firth, four-time Olympian; a Page who is with us today, Justin Vollenweider, who has been helping us out all week; and last but not least, my partner, Colleen Wellborn. I am surprised she let me speak about her today; she is a very private person, but I am really pleased that she was able to hear those words and be with us today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I won't belabour the Minister to read out the action plan, but what I am interested in is the cost of that action plan and whether or not that is represented in this budget. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 22)

I thank the Minister for clarifying, but I am concerned about the status quo approach to procurement, as I'm sure he's well aware, and other Members of this House are concerned, and the Standing Committees on Economic Development and Environment are concerned. I hope that, as we develop strategies and documents like the Manufacturing Strategy, we are better positioned as an Assembly to address these public concerns and make progress on them one way or another. Either amend the policies or provide additional resources in the form of subsidies or enhance existing engagement programs or...