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

Kieron Testart
Range Lake
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, third-party partners are key to successfully resolving these issues, especially working with Indigenous people, so I commend the Minister for bringing that forward.

I am mindful of an answer he gave to my honourable friend from Hay River North that you need a business case to support additional spending. Given that addictions treatment and these aftercare programs are gaps that have been identified and will require a significant amount of resources to plug those gaps, is the Minister going to bring forward a costed proposal or a business case that will see...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I agree with the Minister. I think that, with so much of our climate change planning dependent on this project, we need to start the investment, so, yes, I do support this, and I am thankful for the Minister's explanation of the scale of the project. Thank you. Nothing further.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you to the Minister for providing that update. I know there was a lot of work that has been undertaken by both the standing committee and the Minister. I would like to ask about another issue that was raised by my constituent, which is the availability of detox services in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister speak to those programs?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you. So my understanding is that it's to explore the electricity market, to define the potential business model, including partnership discussions and a crossing study for the Great Slave Lake for transmission lines, and a regulatory review and engagement of stakeholders. So is that the full extent of the appropriation? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Standing Committees on Government Operations and Social Development recommend that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop a fully costed implementation plan for Bill 6, including multi-demographic public education, enforcement planning, and expected cannabis revenues; that this plan be returned to the committees for review prior to legalization day; and that the final plan be made available to the public.

Overall, we found that the GNWT did not adequately provide citizens of the Northwest Territories with information about the proposed framework for...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know this Minister in particular has an eye for cost savings. I am confident that he will take this matter seriously, and if there is value for money to be had, he will find a way to have it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 75(5) to have Bill 6, Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation, moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

I might disagree with the Minister, but we will have to wait to see what occurs should the appropriation move forward.

Now, if there is a change in the collective agreement, my understanding is that nonunionized employees' compensation is typically matched to what is set out in the collective agreement. If a collective agreement comes into effect with a more generous compensation rate than the 1 per cent increase contemplated here, will the Minister move to increase the compensation for nonunionized employees? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am on page 13. There is a list of projects under tourism and parks. I am particularly interested in the K1 Kitchen Shelter Replacement. The line item is $304,000, which seems to be quite high, considering the replacement of the manager's residence in Kakisa is only $200,000. I have been to at least one of the kitchen shelters in the park, and I am just wondering if we can get some justification on the value for money for this project. I mean, it seems very, very high. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move to item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills, on the orders of the day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.