The B.C. Excalibur Party is the newest registered political party here in British Columbia. It has been formed at a time when the political picture in this province is anything but stable, when much mud is flung and many promises are doled out like candy by the bigger political parties vying for power.

I decided to form this party because most people I spoke with (50 percent) did not feel that any of the current parties were worthy of their vote. Another 35 percent felt unable to decide. This made up 85 percent of the people I spoke with.

I have also heard it said that younger people are not turning out to vote, because they are apathetic. I disagree, because during my discussions with younger people I learned that many of them felt unable to put their trust in any of the current political parties.

I too, like so many others, felt very strongly that it was time for an honest change.

Therefore, knowing that my educational and life experience, as well as my family’s support, would serve me well in this task, I decided to form the B.C. Excalibur Party.

The party’s name has been derived from the Arthurian legends, in which, at a similar time of political unrest and instability during the Dark Ages, the Lady of the Lake gave King Arthur the magical sword Excalibur. With this sword King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table ushered in a Golden Age, where the values of truth, honour, justice, integrity, and honesty ruled and brought the people into an era of happiness and prosperity.

The B.C. Excalibur Party uses the sword Excalibur in a symbolic way to represent these self-same values, which are sorely lacking in today’s provincial politics.

The B.C. Excalibur Party’s motto is “The land, the people and the government are one.” Its party ideals are in depth and based on the principles of balance and the fact that we need leadership, which is willing to work with and for the residents of B.C., no matter their affluence, gender, race, or ethnic background,

For this purpose we are seeking for more candidates from all walks of life to run for the office of MLA in their respective ridings—people who care about their regions and have a desire to give their best in representing their constituents. It will be the mandate of all B.C. Excalibur Party MLAs to assist their constituents in any way they can, utilizing all resources at their disposal on a provincial level, as well as guaranteeing that constituents’ problems are heard on a municipal or federal level, if necessary. There will be no “passing the buck”.

My vision for this party is balance and common sense, rather than greed and self-interest—not to be over-weighted on the one hand by big business or on the other hand by unions, for both, by their very nature, are self-serving and therefore non-productive to the good of all British Columbians. No one interest group can take precedence over another. If the government adheres to the values of truth, honour, and justice, then the needs of all British Columbians will be served equally.

We will give the residents of B.C. our pledge that, if elected, we will tackle all the problems which seem to become important at election time and are then forgotten again throughout the term, only to be brought out and dusted off again at the next election.