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

Committee Motion 9-18(2): Tabled Document 1-18(2): Proposed Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019, Addition of Text Regarding French Language Education, carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 4)

[English translation not provided] I'm very proud to have a francophone background in my own heritage and to have attended immersion French language schooling in the Northwest Territories. I think we have a lot of work to do on this issue. Members have spoken about this already in the short life of this Assembly and it's something we have to continue to support and to push forward on. The francophone community call themselves “les tenois,” which is a wonderful way to say who we are as people from the Northwest Territories, much better than the cumbersome Northwest Terronian that exists in...

Question 41-18(2): Impacts of Proposed Wage Freeze on Excluded GNWT Employees
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I think we must be cautious in moving forward with these decisions and I would encourage the Minister to carefully evaluate whether non-management employees should be considered under this wage freeze. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 41-18(2): Impacts of Proposed Wage Freeze on Excluded GNWT Employees
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 4)

I actually was referring to members outside of collective bargaining who are excluded from the union and who have had their salaries frozen by the announcement we heard a couple of days ago, so if the Minister could clarify those employees.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize my constituency assistant, Garett Cochrane. He’s one of the hardest working individuals I know. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Committee Motion 1-18(2): Proposed Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019, Deletion Of Fiscal Context Section, Carried
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

I would like to speak in support of my colleague's motion. When we are speaking of our overall vision moving forward, reminding people of some very specific point in time, entirely relevant statistics and fiscal challenges are not as helpful to a plan, a plan to move ahead. I would prefer, if we are going to speak to these challenges, that we do it in the context of the initiatives we are going to use to get around these, rather than focusing on the specific numbers that are representative of our economy in decline and challenges to our government. I would rather see those numbers reflected in...

Question 24-18(2): Health Care System Improvements
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and onto the point of improved health care. Will there be reduced wait times and more access to medical professionals after the implementation of the new system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 24-18(2): Health Care System Improvements
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

On to the issue of regional wellness committees, what progress has been made in selecting those committees? What kinds of input are going into those choices?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd also like to recognize Mandee McDonald and Erin Freeland Ballantyne. Both work with Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, which is a great made-in-the-North post-secondary institution, and it's good to see them here. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

I think that to start off I'd like to thank all the colleagues and all the MLAs for their hard work on this document and for collaborating effectively to bring something complete to the table. That being said, there are several issues with this process that I think need to be improved upon. The mandate ought not to be a business plan. We have business plans for those. It ought not to be a budget document. We have a budget process for those. What it ought to be is a set of political commitments that are gathered together to form a concise plan that gives certainty to Members of this House and...

Question 24-18(2): Health Care System Improvements
Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 3)

Given the imminent concerns of our fiscal situation in the Northwest Territories, will there be costsaving efficiencies as a result of standardizing care in the NWT?