Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the Status of Women Council of the NWT and the Native Women's Association of the NWT will be hosting Joining the Circle 2007 Northern Women's Leadership Conference. This important gathering will bring women leaders and youth from all across the NWT and NGO groups to discuss and make recommendations to this government on present and future economic, political and social development in the Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the topics for presentations and workshops would include leadership, advocacy, economic security, social equality, public policy and human rights, just to mention a few. There will also be a mini-campaign school where participants of the conference could run for office and learn the mechanics of running a successful campaign.

Mr. Speaker, it is also my pleasure to inform you that the keynote speaker of the conference is here today with us. Rosemary Speirs is the past and founding chair of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan action group whose sole aim is to increase the number of elected women in all government levels and all jurisdictions across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, while Canada is an economically privileged member of the G8, we rank 46th in the world in terms of the number of elected women, right behind Singapore, Uganda and even Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, I am confident that with the work of Equal Voice and this conference we will be able to make some progressive changes in that regard. I would also like to take this opportunity to urge the government and Members of this House to act on the recommendations and suggestions that will come out of the conference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause