Testart takes Kam Lake
Says connections to Liberals in Ottawa will help; Dave Ramsay toppled after three terms as MLA
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The MLA-elect for Kam Lake says he knew he had the election in the bag early in the night.
Three-term incumbent Dave Ramsay, left, congratulates new MLA-elect for Kam Lake, Kieron Testart. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo
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Kieron Testart, 30, was in the lead from the get-go and stayed there, becoming one of the first candidates in the territory to declare victory Monday evening.
"I knew pretty early on (in the evening)," said Testart, grinning after it was clear he would win. Surrounded by supporters at his campaign headquarters at Nova Court, including girlfriend Colleen Wellborn, Testart said he was optimistic even before the results started trickling in. The first-time MLA candidate went on to defeat three-term incumbent Dave Ramsay by a count of 280 to 202 in what turned out to be the lowest voter turnout in the territory at just 25 per cent.
"I was optimistic," Testart said. "We made some really strong connections. I knocked on every door in the riding and talked with hundreds of people. And it was all a very positive experience. I had a good sense going into this. I wasn't doing this alone. I had a lot of help and we worked really hard, especially that last weekend."
In addition to the hard work of his team, Testart said he credits a detailed plan and friendly ties with Liberal leadership in Ottawa for his win. Testart was a candidate for the Liberal Party nomination in the NWT earlier this year before dropping out and endorsing the eventual federal election winner, Michael McLeod. He also served as the communications contact for McLeod during the election.
"They voted for me to bring that plan to the legislature," he said. "And I will be supporting those in cabinet who support (my) platform."
Testart was born in Victoria, B.C. but moved to Tuktoyaktuk at age seven.
"Then I moved to Yellowknife and I've been here ever since," he said.
A former deputy sheriff and peace officer, Testart most recently worked as a policy analyst for the territorial government. He is a single parent with a six-year-old son named Corbin.
Testart said he was introduced to politics at 14, when he joined the Liberal Party of Canada during the tenure of former prime minister Jean Chretien.
"My family was volunteering with the federal Liberal Party, back in the Chretien/Martin Days," he said. "It gave me a taste in politics, it gave me a taste of how it worked."
Testart said connections made while serving as president of the Western Arctic Liberal Association prior to last month's federal election will help him to get Northern funding promised during the Liberals' rise to power.
"I have those connections to make that happen," he said.
As Testart's supporters celebrated election night, Ramsay arrived to congratulate the man who beat him by 78 votes. Ramsay said he was surprised by the result.
"It was shocking really, I wasn't expecting that," he said, standing in the hallway at Nova Court. "You've got to respect the voters in Kam Lake. It is was it is, the sun is going to come up tomorrow."
Ramsay said it's too early to say what he'll do next.
"I've got four young kids and a wife at home," he said. "Life is going to go on. I'll have to explore my options. I've been in this game for 12 years. I was considering some options even before the election. There'll be opportunities for me. I'm not going anywhere."
