Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we have already heard today, yesterday was International Women's Day with a theme of Choose to Challenge. I want to use this opportunity to thank my colleagues, my friends, and my neighbours for their support that gives me my opportunity to choose to challenge in a position not often held by a female. By this, I mean very literal support. My partner works at a remote mine site and had to adapt his work rotation in order to accommodate the risk-mitigation precautions for COVID-19. His extended rotation was not what we planned on when I ran for elected office. The recent outbreak and resulting further two weeks of quarantine was also something I had planned on as we were beginning budget session, sitting until 6:00 p.m. and often later. Over 10 different households helped me with school pickups, and sport or activity driving, and various other childcare supports, plus another handful more checked in to offer their support.

Particularly in that first week of unexpected single parenting, colleagues here no doubt ran into my children when I had to bring them at 8:00 a.m. start on a PD day. Mr. Speaker, they were louder in the hall than what they should have been, but I want to express my gratitude and my pride that the Legislative Assembly is becoming a workplace that is accommodating and welcoming to the realities of working parents. The hours required of elected officials may be a barrier, but we are taking steps to show that it is a barrier that can be overcome. I believe this will help more individuals who are the primary caregivers to children to bring their perspectives into politics.

Mr. Speaker, other families have endured far more challenging work changes as a result of COVID-19. There are of course families with workers who are health workers, other front-line workers, or other rotational workers who are, in fact, now doing three- and four-week shifts, and they are all persevering. I thank them for that. I want to say, Mr. Speaker, if you know a family who you know is having work challenges, please consider checking in and offering your help. They might not be asking, but they might not be asking because they simply don't have the time or the energy to do the asking. Again, I thank this wonderful community here in Yellowknife. I simply could not be doing my job without all of you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.