Concession speech, Regina, June 6, 2009

Thank you. We’ve done well, haven’t we? This is great. We’ve done well.

What Ian was about to finish telling you is that Mr Lingenfelter has received 55% of the vote and I’ve received 45% of the vote, and so this is my concession speech. I’m very excited about it.

It’s been a very interesting experience running for politics. And it won’t be my last.
And I’ve certainly learned a thing or two in this process.

One I’ve learned why they call it running for office, because I started out skinny and only got skinnier.

I also learned something about the people of Saskatchewan. Because I was a little bit scared going into this, and people told me “Ryan, what are you doing? Facing all that criticism?”

Criticism, certainly that has existed, but I’ve never shaken so many hands, I’ve never hugged so many strangers, never been welcomed by so many people who were excited, who were interested, who wanted to share their ideas and just wanted to welcome with someone who was willing to represent. And for that I thank the people of Saskatchewan and in particular the people of this party.

When we started this campaign it would often be reported that, running for the leadership were, former deputy premier Mr Lingenfelter, former president of the party Yens Pedersen, sitting MLA Deb Higgins and that guy nobody’s ever heard of from Saskatoon.

We have gone from a handful of people in my living room to now hundreds of volunteers to now thousands of supporters across this province, and that has been extremely exciting.

I think we’ve woken up this party. We see here proof of a movement, of a process, of momentum to rebuild this party. That is so exciting.

And now I want to send a particular message. Because some of you are going to feel very disappointed because the result of that movement, the result of that momentum, was not what you had hoped.

I understand that. Of course I’m disappointed too.

But some of you have said you would be so disappointed that you’d go so far as to rip up your memberships. And it’s to those people in particular that I want to speak. Because I really don’t want you to do that.

I won’t be doing that. I won’t be doing that.

We really are all in this together and we need to stay in this together. We have woken up the party, let’s keep it awake. Because now, more than ever, we need you.
We are taking a major step here. We’re going from the defeated government to the next government. We have woken up the party and now we have work to do.

We are about to embark on a very important policy renewal process;
we need you now more than ever.

We are about to find new candidates around this province;
we need you now more than ever.

We are about to revive our constituencies and rebuild this party;
we need you now more than ever.

Please join with me in asking Mr Lingenfelter, unanimously, everyone in this room, to serve us as the leader of the New Democratic Party.

Thank you so much.