January
24, 2006
Dear York Centre Resident,
Below you will see the comments I made at our post-election party last
night.
I hope you have the chance to read them.
Best regards,
Ken Dryden
Member of Parliament
York Centre
Election Night Comments
I have always been told, “you can’t
win them all.”
I never believed that. I just believed that somehow you
didn’t. I am very disappointed at our results across the
country.
I am also very proud of all of you.
I am proud to be the Member of Parliament from York
Centre. This is my second campaign. By far the best part has been what
I feared the most – going door to door. I’ve had
the chance to get to know you. To see you – people trying,
hoping, dreaming, working hard, one way or another making a life for
yourselves. Proud.
Thank you for having faith in me.
I’d like to thank my opponents –
Michael Mostyn, Marco Iacampo and Constantine Kritsonis. For all
candidates across the country, it’s not easy what
we’ve all decided to do – indirectly, but somehow
together – so congratulations to all of you.
The campaign team here – Art Eggleton and Jack
Siegel, our campaign chars. Our campaign manager, Marc Gervais. This is
Marc’s first time. It will not be his last.
And Lynda.
And to all of you – our many volunteers. You
have been great. Day after day. I love to be around believers.
Believers have the energy of hope and possibility around them. They
give energy to others. They bring out the best in others. You are
believers – in your community, in your country, in yourselves
and others. In the future. Thank you.
I’ve come to know in my life that you
don’t learn much when you win. You learn when you lose. The
public has spoken, and the public is never wrong.
Now it’s up to us to learn.
There are surely many things to learn, but one is to
trust ourselves again. To remind ourselves how important this party has
been to the best history of this country. To the making of this
country. It is a party that has understood from the beginning that not
much worthwhile can be achieved alone. That economically and socially
we need our neighbours and our neighbours need us. That Canada has been
built on great national endeavors – the joining of two great
languages and cultures, the railroads, the Medicare, the education
system; the charter of rights. That whatever we once were, whatever we
are now, we will be that much more tomorrow. That our greatest national
endeavors are still ahead. Canadians need that belief, that
understanding from us.
The sponsorship scandal, the battering of being in office twelve years,
the battering of what really has been a two year long campaign
– I think, at times, we have lost some of our confidence,
some trust in ourselves, some understanding of how important we really
are. In Quebec, of how important we have been to Quebec, and Quebec to
the Liberal Party. We say others have taken for granted our success
economically, socially, and as a country, but as a party we have too.
Canada is a special place. We cannot, we must not, forget that.
People at the doors, new to this country, they
don’t forget. They know how lucky we are, how good we are, as
a country. As a party, we need to remember this as well so we can push
ourselves to where we can be.
I am just sorry that the Prime Minister got his chance
when there was less chance to do what he wanted to do. Paul Martin is a
good man. Inside government and outside, he has done important work for
this country and he will continue. I have been absolutely honoured,
absolutely privileged to be the Minister of Social Development in Paul
Martin’s government. Thank you.
What makes me saddest tonight – losing child
care – we were so close. After so many years, after so much
sweat and blood of so many people – so close. And whom do I
feel the worst for? Parents who have been just beginning to see what
good early learning and child care can mean for the development of
their children. For themselves. For their future.
And for the early childhood educators. You have trusted
us. You allowed yourselves to dream again. Keep going. Keep going. Hang
in a little longer. The future is undeniably, irrefutably on your side.
You will win. We will win.
We have some learning ahead of us. But we will learn.
Very well. And when we do, we will be back.
Ken Dryden