New Westminster resident James Crosty will be dusting off his election signs and putting them to work in the coming weeks.
Crosty, who was a mayoral candidate in the 2011 civic election, will be running as an independent candidate in the May 14 provincial election. Other candidates in New Westminster include: Hector Bremner (B.C. Liberals); Judy Darcy (B.C. NDP); Paul Forseth (B.C. Conservatives); and Terry Teather (Green Party of B.C.).
"A lot of people have been talking to me. They are expressing what we call party fatigue. Party fatigue means they don't know which party to vote for," Crosty said. "Because we have a retiring MLA, we have a brand new open race."
Crosty hopes his presence in the provincial election will encourage people who might otherwise not vote to head to the polls.
"If I can bring something to New Westminster as an independent, I want to do everything in my power to do so," he said. "We will have a very outspoken individual in Victoria, not someone who says, 'the party says'."
During the election campaign, the main parties are releasing platforms that provide details about their positions on various issues. Asked how people will know what he stands for in the absence of a party platform, Crosty said he'd "pick the best of all party platforms and work with it."
Because he wouldn't be bound by any party lines, Crosty believes he could bring balance to government and suggest compromises between the Liberals and NDP positions.
"I am not going to bring in a budget, I am not going to set policy, but I could certainly guide it," he said about being an independent MLA.
If elected, Crosty said he'd press to have a new high school built and work to have the cost of PSA tests (a screening test for prostate cancer) covered by medical.
"I might even propose that we seriously talk about amalgamating with another (school) district, Burnaby is a good example," he said. "I think it is something that should be seriously explored."
Although he isn't a member of any political party, Crosty said he's worked for the Liberals and Conservatives in the past and has also supported the NDP. He was quite active in the B.C. Liberal Party when Gordon Wilson led the party to its breakthrough in the 1991 provincial election and was the local candidate's campaign manager.
"This riding has been dominated by the labour or NDP party since 1963, other than the Liberals in 2001," he said. "As an independent, I ask: What has New Westminster gained? Precious little, in my opinion."
Crosty said he's under no illusion that winning will be easy, and he knows a lot of work is required.
"Stranger things have happened," he said.
Although many polls and political pundits predict the NDP will form government, Crosty said it's still a perfect time for New Westminster to elect an independent.
"New Westminster is not going to make or break this election," he said. "We have a brand new opportunity. We have an opportunity to get away from party fatigue and get away from it and try a brand new approach."
Some of Crosty's critics will likely speculate the provincial campaign is an attempt to raise his profile in advance of the 2014 municipal election.
"They should start thinking of May 15 as the start of the next election," he said of people who think that's why he's running now.
