Alan Buchanan has made his speech to delegates at the Liberal leadership convention in Charlottetown. After seven years in the private sector, he says he is ready to take on the Tories in the next provincial election.

P.E.I. Liberal Leadership Campaign coverage

Buchanan spoke first on Saturday afternooon, and made reference to both his political past and his opponent.

Buchanan, who served two terms in the provincial legislature, told the delegates he was ready for the next step. "I am ready to lead this party. I have earned my stripes and my apprenticeship is over."

He also took aim at Robert Ghiz, who has pledged to hold a series of meetings across the Island to develop party policy. Buchanan put out a policy book early in the campaign.

"I believe that a leader has a responsibility to consult ... but a leader has a responsibility to lead," he told the delegates.

Buchanan also talked directly about his role in the Liberal government that cut public service wages by 7.5 per cent in 1994.

"Dealing with an unprecedented deficit with leadership was the right thing to do. But breaking collective agreements in order to accomplish that objective was a mistake, plain and simple."

"I say to each of you ... give me the opportunity. If elected leader my pledge to you is this. The Liberal party will regain the trust of our public sector unions and we will move past this issue as a strong, united, determined, dynamic party and we will win."

The party was expecting 4,000 delegates to attend the convention. "I didn't know there were this many Liberals left on P.E.I.," one delegate remarked on her way into the convention hall.