Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am an advocate for women. I am still learning exactly what that means and how to advocate in the best way, but it is important to me.

As we've heard, today is International Women's Day, and I wanted to say something to recognize that. One can't help but reflect personally on the significance of this day. When I was a boy, my mom was my hero. She symbolized for me what I thought every person should be. Only in later years did I come to realize what a remarkable person she was and how much she achieved. She was a successful businesswoman and a single mother, and I like to think she did a pretty good job raising me.

Beyond personal experience, when I reflect on the meaning of International Women's Day, I think about the progress of our society on including women in our work in how we make decisions and prioritize issues. When I look around this room, Mr. Speaker, reflecting on women and their place here, in the Legislative Assembly, well, it's pretty clear. Of 19 of us in this room, there are only two women among us.

That is not enough. In fact, one of the things I am sure about is that we need to spend more time contemplating this and our roles in changing it. We need to actively work to change the current reality, whatever it takes, the processes we need to modify, the statements we need to make, the ideas we need to challenge to ensure that more women sit among us as leaders and decision-makers.

All of the things we want to change, the mandate goals we've set for ourselves, the good work we need to do, requires the guidance and wisdom of both genders. We need women who are willing to take up leadership roles and put themselves out there, people who will explore alternatives and stand behind the decisions they make. We need to look for new solutions, include other paradigms, see the world from different perspectives if we are going to make a difference. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted