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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to try again with the Minister of Health and Social Services.

How have the changes to Yellowknife Primary Care reduced wait times for appointments in the capital? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 49)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the somewhat -- not absurd but unfamiliar territory we're in because this is veterinary medicine. But our Act it's six pages long. It's 12 clauses long. It hasn't been looked at since, I think -- beyond minor changes -- 1988. Is this something the Minister can put on the legislative agenda for the future? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member's statement, presumptive coverage for firefighters and first responders for PTSD and ten forms of cancer and event specific coverage, such as catastrophic disasters like the Fort McMurray wildfire or the wildfires we experienced here, are not currently covered by WSCC legislation. This means firefighters have to go through a lengthy approval process and, in some cases, they're dealing with terminal cancers and had to spend all this time fighting with insurance rather than enjoying the time they have left. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you. And, yes, it is -- it's great if you're a Franco-Ténois, you absolutely can access one-stop shop. There's some issues there as well, but it does exist. So there's funding out there, clearly, because that's how a lot of the Francophone services we do provide are through federal government funding specifically for Francophones and, of course, the funding for other language minorities is much more limited because they're not official languages of Canada. But I wonder if there -- Indigenous Services Canada has client officers and things like that, so there's a lot of client facing...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Yeah, thank you. And I mean, it's hard to -- because it is a political role, it's hard to assess it as you would with GRI or one of those tools that we've been trying to use for evidence-based decision-making. But I just -- I fear that we're not going to get the best result possible from an expensive singular role when we could spread it out across contracts and, you know, have those people who are working in those circles and get more awareness of what's happening on the ground and more influence for our government on the ground as well. So I don't need a response from the Premier, but those...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you. That's very proactive and positive, and I appreciate taking those steps. And I appreciate the indulgence of asking these questions at this section that I thought to jump on -- ride other people's coattails.

Moving towards the envoy position, I'm wondering if -- do we currently have a contract or do we contract government relation services from firms, like lobbyist firms essentially, to support our efforts to engage with not just the federal government -- well, primarily the federal government, but other governments and organizations? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you. I appreciate that we might have a coming opportunity with at least a change in leadership -- or a guaranteed change in leadership at the federal table at least. Are we able to commit to new offers within -- new offers at all outstanding tables in the life of this government? Is that something the Premier is willing to do? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just going to follow up both with the previous lines of questions. First, on land claims, when -- or land rights negotiations. When were the negotiating mandates last revised for the GNWT's side of the table? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one other thing that needs to happen that's not covered by legislation is the latency periods for testicular, colorectal, and esophageal cancer. These latency periods need to be shorter. They're currently not to the national standard. Is the Minister also looking at working with his counterparts -- or sorry, is the WSCC working on shortening these latency periods as well? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 48)

Mr. Speaker, first responders are real life super heros. They run towards danger to save lives using incredible skills few possess. We rely on them to protect us and they, in turn, rely on us to do all we can to prioritize their safety and well-being because unlike in comic books and action movies, there are no super powers that can make them immune to illness and injury.

When wounded warriors stepped up to provide easier access to services for firefighters, particularly regarding mental health, it revealed a gap that showed PTSD was not covered by WSCC legislation. This gap also revealed...