The Ryan Bater era as leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals is over.
Bater, who lost in the Battlefords constituency last fall and whose party was shut out of seats for the third straight election, resigned the party leadership Tuesday morning.
The news was announced on the Liberal Party's website and was confirmed by Bater to the Regional Optimist. His resignation is effective immediately.
"This was just the wrong time, and that's just the way it is," Bater said of the recent election. Bater ran head first into the brick wall that was Premier Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party juggernaut, which took 64 per cent of the vote province-wide in the Nov. 7 provincial election.
In the process, the Liberals were reduced to breadcrumbs as they failed to elect Bater or any of the other eight candidates that ran under their banner.
It was a tough decision for the Battlefords based Bater, who was elected Liberal leader by acclamation in August 2008 and officially took the helm a few months later.
But it was obvious the uphill climb the Liberal Party faces over the next four years weighed heavily in his decision to step down.
"After the election, I set out to do some soul searching on my future in politics," said Bater.
"I looked at the last several years and all of the work and sacrifice that went into the effort, and then obviously looked at the result, which was not what we wanted."
"Then, looking at the future and gauging what would be required for the party's mission to be successful, which of course is to win a seat, the amount of personal and professional sacrifice required to do that would have been tremendous, and I wasn't prepared to do that anymore."
He acknowledged the large amount of effort that was required of him just to do battle in the Battlefords constituency, which was the focal point of the party's efforts in the 2011 vote.
"I campaigned for years here, knocking on doors for about 18 months, trying to reach out to voters, raising money for the campaign," said Bater.
Bater had campaigned on a message of fiscal responsibility and reducing spending, and credited a strong campaign in the Battlefords. He said he was proud of the platform and "believed what we were fighting for."
But the hard work came to nothing as the Liberals posted a dismal showing, with Bater receiving only 12 per cent of the vote, losing in the Battlefords to Herb Cox of the Saskatchewan Party.
The party received less than one per cent of the vote across Saskatchewan, its worst showing ever.
Bater noted he had essentially put his personal and professional life on hold in order to devote his entire effort to rebuilding the Liberals.
"Those are really difficult things to sacrifice", he said.
Faced with four more years of sacrificing his life for another political rebuilding effort, Bater finally had enough.
"When I thought about doing it for another four years, I just couldn't do it."
In typical fashion, Bater made news of his departure known on social media, which he used heavily during the run up to the 2011 vote. He released a statement to his followers on Facebook to thank them for their support.
"To all those who have supported me on this journey: Thank You," the statement read. "These past few years of my life I will always hold dear to my heart, as will I those who journeyed with me. The opportunity to publicly stand up for what one believes in and participate in our democratic process is truly the honour of a lifetime."
In a statement on the Liberal website, the party executive thanked Bater for "his leadership, energy, and dedication to promoting Liberalism in Saskatchewan."
"The November 2011 Provincial Election was tough for all opposition parties, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party included," it read.
Bater is now the third provincial party leader to step down in Saskatchewan in the last five months.
Former NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter resigned on election night after losing his seat in Regina Douglas Park. Former Green Party leader Larissa Shasko did not even wait for the election, quitting in September to support the NDP campaign of Yens Pedersen in Regina South.
She was replaced as Green leader soon after by Victor Lau. John Nilson now leads the NDP on an interim basis.
The Liberals plan to appoint an interim leader over the next several weeks, according to their website. The Liberals are also planning a 'Charting the Future' meeting to review the last election and begin to settle on a course for the party. That will be held in Saskatoon Feb. 11 and will be one of a series of open meetings the party will hold.
While the Liberals face a rebuilding effort, Bater spoke of rebuilding his own personal and professional life and says his immediate focus will be on that.
Bater now describes himself as a "free agent" and says he is open to any possibilities out there, whether it be in the economic development field, public relations or other lines of work. He was general manager of the Battlefords REDA before his stint as Liberal leader.
Whether his future will involve continuing to live in the Battlefords also remains to be seen, though he says he would prefer to stay in the community. He does plan to stay active with his band, Jackwagon, who have a performance lined up for St. Patrick's Day at the Windsor Hotel in Battleford, a familiar haunt for the troupe.
As for the future of the Liberals, Bater said it is up to the members to decide now.
The former leader says he will not be taking on an official role in that process, but does plan to continue to support the party.
"I am a Liberal," Bater said.
