Kieron Testart has announced that he plans to run for the Range Lake riding in the upcoming election.
He said that he is a lifelong Northerner and is raising three children. For the last two years, he has been the director of economic development for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
Testart was MLA of Kam Lake from 2015 to 2019. He ran for re-election, but was defeated by Caitlin Cleveland.
He said that politics is one of his passions and that he hasn’t left the scene, having provided frequent political commentary on social media and as an editorial writer for CBC.
“Serving in the Legislative Assembly, it’s given me a lot of insight into how the government works, how the legislature works, and what priorities are important to northerners,” he said.
As for why he’s not running for the Kam Lake riding, Testart said that he is raising his family in Range Lake and it’s the one he wants to represent.
“I’ll always be grateful to the people who are up there (in Kam Lake) who gave me a shot and my first big break into politics,” he said.
Testart’s campaign has three main priorities: economic growth, healthcare, and public safety.
Concerning the economy, he said that the North needs to have its mining sector reinvigorated and for new mines to open, and also highlighted the difficulties Northerners have been facing.
“We’ve seen our neighbours leaving because times are getting harder, the economy’s getting tougher, cost of living is very, very high and the opportunities seem to be fewer and fewer,” he added. “We haven’t seen the kind of measures, legislation and dynamic leadership that we need to really get a grip on what’s happening.”
Testart said that the Department of Health and Social Services receives a huge share of the territorial budget and he believes that there needs to be more accountability about how that money is spent. He also hopes to address the lack of staff, wait times, frequent closure of clinics, and services provided by the hospital and medical travel.
Regarding public safety, he said that spending should go to community safety officer programs and by-law programs across the NWT. He added that they should get the RCMP should deploy more personnel across the NWT.
“That gets some presence of public safety officers on the street who can really tackle some of these issues head on,” he said.
Testart also said that long-term programs such as treatment centers, wellness programs, and addiction services are also needed.
“I think a combination of continuing to chip away at those long standing systemic problems with direct funding for more public safety on the streets is a good way to start to turn the corner on this issue and make people feel safe in their community,” he said.
Overall, Testart believes the NWT has much potential in critical minerals, clean growth, traditional knowledge, and circumpolar research.
“We can be a champion across the board if we unlock this potential,” he said. “I know that I have the experience, the ambition and the vision to bring a strong voice to Range Lake and to provide the kind of representation that Range Lakers deserve going forward into what looks like challenging years ahead.
“I’m excited to be back in the saddle, so to speak.”
Premier Caroline Cochrane is the incumbent MLA of Range Lake. She has not yet announced if she will be re-running.