Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We are about to make history here in the Northwest Territories. I am hopeful and I believe that voters will elect the largest number of women Members ever. I don't think we will reach gender parity, but I think we will surpass the goals that all of us set for ourselves for the 20th Assembly this fall.
The reason for my optimism is this: in 2007, 10 women ran and three were elected. In 2011, nine women ran and two were elected. In 2015, 10 women ran, and two of us were elected. By my count, 20 women have announced their intention to run in this fall's election, double the number of candidates we have ever had and in one fell swoop. These are 20 well-qualified women; a lawyer, a corporate vice-president, an engineer, a community development officer, a land claim negotiator. It is an impressive list. These women have a lot to offer all residents of the Northwest Territories if they are elected. Some of them will be elected. I am predicting four based on the historic ratio of those who run and those who are successful in winning a seat.
Mr. Speaker, this change has been the result of leadership and hard work. I would like to thank you for championing the idea of temporary special measures to bring more women into the Assembly. Even though the idea didn't gain traction, it sparked a conversation and interest in other solutions. I would like to thank the clerk, as well, for his work on the discussion paper and for his help in creating the Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women here.
I would also like to thank all of the Members of the committee, including the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, the Member for Range Lake, my colleague and friend, who has worked tirelessly with me every step of the way to figure out how to address the barriers to women's representation. Thanks, as well, to the committee staff, Jennifer Franki-Smith and Cathleen Knotsch, for their help planning our travel and writing our reports. We can all be proud of the seat change that we are about to witness.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to take a few moments to thank a few more people, starting with my constituency assistant Craig Yeo, whose unfailing support and hard work has enabled me to do so much good work for my constituents and the people of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted