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

Kieron Testart
Range Lake
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Extension
12150
Constituency Office
Email
Phone

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it a plan, though, that's being executed, or is it piecemeal decisions called primary care reform? We're hearing a bunch of different facts. We're seeing a bunch of different actions being taken. We still don't have online booking. Other places do. So is this, again, a comprehensive costed plan with clear milestones that this Assembly can judge, the public can judge, and we can actually see some improvement? And not just for us but for the people who work within the system as well. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 53)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health and Social Services provide this House with a comprehensive plan for primary care reform that is fully costed, has clear milestones, and is based on input from patients and healthcare workers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a fantastic solution which is the money that Aurora College that is still being granted to them, take that back and use it to fund these facilities. So will the Minister pursue an exploration with that and see how we can keep these -- the productive facilities that are training students, that are important to communities, that are employing local people who will not have jobs when they're gone, stay open. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sorry, I was confused by our procedures. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to ask just some clarifying points from the presentation that Aurora College gave to Members this morning.

For the physical assets of the community learning centres, the actual buildings and physical infrastructure that are present in the communities, what is the fate of that with the shuttering of all these facilities in a couple months? Thank you. What will be the fate?

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate those conversations but, I mean, we're asking them to invest in what we're already doing. I mean, we had a Prime Minister -- Prime Minister Harper came here every year and apart from a few big projects here and there that some Members are very familiar with, we didn't get much for it. We're still underfunded. We still need more infrastructure. So what we're looking for here is defense spending, and that's still something we're only starting to see trickle out. We do have the leader of the opposition pledging to build bases in other northern...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Thank you. I've looked into it as well, and you know who else has, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, the childcare providers and their advocates, the associations, have looked to it -- looked into it as well. They want these changes made. So can the Minister commit to doing more than looking into them and actually change these things, make a commitment to change these things before this problem gets worse. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has signed a deal to extend the Canada-wide child early learning -- learning program, the $10-a-day program. While families are appreciative of these efforts, daycare providers are still -- or childcare providers are still very concerned about a system that looks to be unsustainable. The funding's been extended until 2031, 2032, without any changes, which means no additional funding to address the concerns that have been raised by the sector or increasing wages for workers in the sector for another five...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier just confirm that the measures he's already laid out - taking the American products out of liquor stores, the tearing up of the Starlink contracts, and the other measures he's already laid out to date - are those going to be held in force -- are those going to be maintained? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Thank you. And it's always nice to recognize the good work of staff, so I appreciate the Minister's very kind words for public servants.

That being said, are these -- well, not that being said, there's no but here; they're great, thank you. Period. It would be a shame if this was -- because I know in the past, trade has been less significant, and it's been off the corner of someone else's desk. So is this a dedicated kind of trade unit that's doing this work, or is this something that they have to manage on top of other competing priorities? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 52)

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the colleagues who spoke joining debate around this motion and, in particular, those who are supporting it. Compassion is the name of the game here, and it's to find a way to develop a compassionate policy that can address these circumstances. And I know these things are complicated. I know medical travel's incredibly expensive and often quite complicated, and I have sympathy for the honourable Minister and her commentary on this motion. However, I think we should get into the business of finding ways to -- reasons how we can overcome challenges...