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 , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Yes, thank you. Well, I mean, I don't think we'll have a satisfactory answer here. What I'm looking at is, like, are we going -- is this going to be a negotiation or is this going to be an ongoing negotiation around, like, is this program working for our constituents, or is it going to be we've decided it is, here's the information, good bye, right? Like, I'm seeing if there's a willingness from the Minister to work to reconsider this decision. Because, again, I appreciate the challenges of health care sustainability and all that goes into that, but benefits to constituents that lower the cost...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. Is this number inclusive, then, of the public administrator's salary and compensation? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. I guess I -- I wish that had kind of been explained ahead of time because it's a very reasonable idea that, like, the changes to the system are just using other insurance providers first and that would, I think, help sell this a lot more. But that being said, some people I know who work as public servants are still paying more. So public health care insurance plans don't cover everything, and there's still a need for these extended health benefits. What would it take for -- like, what kind of assessment would it take to lower the cost -- or to restore the benefits to the place they...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. And it all makes sense, the public accounts at the end, the end of the year, so I'm not worried about, like, the money not being accounted for. It's more if we are -- I guess if, let's say, we negotiate for a hundred more nurses or something like that, which is a large number, but if we say you're going to give us that and it's a billion dollars, we're having very well compensated nurses; where would you put that? Like, how would we know as MLAs that that money that we are voting for you is going to go to the authority and being spent in that way? Just because we don't have that...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. Do you know how much -- like, if you had maintained the old system but added the new client base, do you know what the cost for that -- the cost of the program would be? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That does make sense. Thank you. So the detail, though, that we are -- again, I know I'm jumping ahead but it's just an information item, but, like, the detail we have in that information item, is that your estimates, or is it -- like, what -- sorry, what -- where are we getting these numbers from? Is it from last year's actuals, or is it your estimates based on what you're giving to the authorities based on what you believe there needs to be? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. So in your evaluation of this -- of extended health benefits, are you going to be speaking to beneficiaries who are now paying deductibles or more deductibles and engaging that feedback, I guess? Like, is there a client satisfaction survey that is going into this work, or are we just looking for a dollar by dollar analysis? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you. It's not a discrepancy, Mr. Speaker. It's -- I acknowledge the Minister will look into it and I thank her for that. But it's not a discrepancy. It's a regulation that allows to them to do it. So they signed on to the Canada-wide agreement, they're part of it, so will the Minister commit to reviewing the regs and reporting back to this House? Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When does the Minister anticipate the bed projections will be due and -- well, actually shared with Members? That's probably a better timeline. Thank you.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 44)

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, an ongoing narrative for day homes in the Northwest Territories is that they're rolling in cash and are a bunch of fat cats compared to daycare centre workers and they're being held in direct contrast to one another. But ECE's own numbers show that day homes make $22 an hour, the lowest spot on the page grid. So day homes are asking me why does this narrative continue, why are day homes -- the financial limitations and their spot on the pay grid not a concern to the department? I'd like to ask the Minister that. Thank you.