Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise today, too, and recognize International Women’s Day. I’d like to congratulate the five recipients of the Wise Women Awards this year. Like my colleagues, I’d like to talk about the politics and ladies in politics. Obviously, we have two Members here, Jane Groenewegen and Wendy Bisaro. Good examples for the youth of today’s Northwest Territories.

I’d also like to recognize two members of my town council: Donna Lee Jungkind and Kandis Jameson, who also are striving to put women into politics and make sure that there’s a good balance there. Like my friend Mr. Moses indicated, they do provide a good balance. Obviously, often good voices of reason.

As we look towards getting equality, we need to look at some of the people out there. Like, we had Danica Patrick make the pole at the Indy 500 for the first time ever. We have to look at this, but this is the problem. They are the exceptions. They are the leaders, but they are the minorities. We need to make sure that equality gets into these areas. I would like to encourage all the youth, all the lady youth out there to make sure that they can strive to do whatever you want to do. You can do it out there.

One of the other things that I’d like to recognize today is this weekend there’s an event going on, The Sky’s No Limit – Girls Fly Too, an example of

ladies in the aviation industry can fly too. I’d like to encourage people to get out to that.

I’d also like to thank my mother and three sisters who raised me and made me the man I am today. In thinking about all the women in our lives, we have a new doctor, Dr. Boudreau, who signed on this week, and I’d like to welcome her to Hay River. We’re looking forward to seeing her and many more doctors in Hay River.