Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to have Coral McMillan shadow me as one of the young women participating in Brock University's Women in the House program. This program aims to better acknowledge and increase female participation in all levels of government.
We have come a long way since Agnes Macphail was elected as the first female MP in Canada, in 1921. Today, we celebrate having Canada's first gender-based cabinet. I am proud to be one of 88 women elected to the House.
However, we still have a long way to go. Young women like Coral, and Emma and Julia Mogus from my riding, founders of Books With No Bounds and passionate advocates for our indigenous communities, must be encouraged to become leaders in government, in business, and in their communities.