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 27)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources report annually on progress being made to meet the greenhouse gas emissions targets established in the Climate Change Strategic Framework and remain open to the possibility of making target adjustments as required, to meet the overall emissions reduction target by 2030. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think, when reports like this come out, they shake the public's confidence around our justice system. I'm wondering if the Minister can commit to reviewing the report and providing a response or some sort of public statement on what he sees as the strength of our system, if he does in fact disagree with these reports? Can he commit to read the report? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I referenced in my opening comments, the committee is aware that the Climate Change Strategic Framework is a work in progress and is expected to be completed soon, but one of the concerns of committee is ensuring that the Auditor General's recommendations are properly addressed therein.

In the course of our review, the evidence that was provided to the committee for consideration was that this framework is going to be how the department addresses the Auditor General's findings, and committee wants to ensure that the specifics of those recommendations are met clearly and...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

It's somewhat unfortunate the Minister hasn't had time to look at this report. It was released earlier this month. I would assume it would be of interest to him and his department, but some of the findings do address what the Minister's just spoke of. The report mentions the challenges the North face, but we also have the second highest rate of violent crime in Canada and the highest rate of property crime. The report also found that the Northwest Territories funds little on legal aid compared to other jurisdictions. We received an F in support for victims, according to this report, with the...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommend that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources acknowledge and reference the Auditor General's report and recommendations in the Climate Change Strategic Framework. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize my constituency assistant, Mr. Garett Cochrane. This is the last day of session, and he has been invaluable over the last several weeks in helping me prepare for the day's work and helping me keep in touch with my constituents. I want to take the opportunity to recognize his service. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this assembly recommend that, in future, any Government of the Northwest Territories department being audited provide the Standing Committee on Government Operations with a copy of its action or implementation plan at the earliest possible opportunity and no later than three business days prior to the public review on the Auditor General's report, consistent with the process convention on communications between Cabinet Ministers, standing committees, and Regular Members. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yesterday, I reported the bill, and I won't go in at length. It was fairly lengthy yesterday. The key issue here is climate change's major impacts on the Arctic. Of course, that has huge consequences for our jurisdiction.

Northerners know that the recent years of forest fires and coastal erosion, permafrost erosion, these issues are live issues that affect them, affect their communities, affect their families. The expectation is that we have a robust framework and mechanism to deal with them. Unfortunately, in previous years, that was not the case. That is what...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to reiterate that the committee is not putting forward this report, of which it is asking for a report in 120 days, for the purpose of criticizing the hard work of staff who are working at the Department of ENR or the Department of Infrastructure, who are subject to this audit. The committee's intention is to provide constructive feedback on the response to the Auditor General's report and the findings of the Auditor General's report, and to present the evidence that we heard in our hearings. That is the contents of this document. I know that the committee...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.