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 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister speak to the details, which activity line it's appropriated under or which lines under the section? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today on the occasion of International Women's Day to recognize the great achievements of the global movement for women's rights that continues to this day. First embraced by the socialist movements in the early 20th Century, International Women's Day was first adopted by the United Nations in 1975, and for more than 40 years countries around the world have celebrated today as a way to advance equality and equity for women. Although we have come far as a society to advance the women's rights and equality, there is still much work left to do.

This year's campaign...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of the things that in the recent audit from the Auditor General of Canada and for the Northwest Territories review of the Department of Infrastructure's role on climate change activities, they found that the department did a good job of maintaining its assets, but how they evaluate programs is not, you know, 90 per cent or 80 per cent, it's going to be 100 per cent, or it's not being done to the full extent it needs to be. How is the department improving its asset management vis-a-vis climate change, especially with the additional climate change impacts that are...

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So at this time, there is no appropriation set aside to deal with the Manufacturing Strategy in this department or any of the other departments under the Minister's ministry? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister: why were these two programs the only two programs that were affected by the foundational review? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of the concerns also raised by committee was the nature of engagement on procurement policies that it is to educate private sector actors on how to engage with the government's policies rather than to get feedback on procurement, I understand, if there are any concerns or complaints. Is the department investing additional resources to improve its engagement efforts with contractors who are benefiting from procurement or perhaps frustrated with how procurement is working? I'll put it this way, Mr. Chair: if the policies are not the issue, then the engagement must be...

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

The question I spoke of was: what if kids want to stay here and do those degrees? The option is to make them leave the territory? That is kind of counterproductive to that questioning. The Minister just said that this is a foundational review, not a program review, and yet he is telling us now that he is frozen on these two programs. So which is it? Is it a foundational review or a program review? Because we have these programs that are currently unavailable to northern students who want to take training in these careers here in the Northwest Territories.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, in its review of this department's business plans, the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment recommended that the Department of Infrastructure conduct an independent review of its procurement policy and work with the Department of Finance to survey prompt payment initiatives across Canada and develop a better model for the territory. I would like to know how this budget responds to those concerns. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister also commit to providing more clarity on the types of information systems that are being used by the health authority? Previously, I spoke of 15 different systems. I understand some are going to be retained and some are going to be rolled into one. Can the Minister provide some clarity on that or commit to providing more clarity on that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Is there any sense of what we can expect those costs to be? Thank you.