Mike de Jong loves to talk in hockey metaphors, and he says he wants to put B.C. on a power play by reducing the deficit if he's elected leader of the BC Liberals.

The MLA for Abbotsford West sat down with CTV's Mike Killeen to explain why he should be the next premier in the third of four profiles leading up to Saturday's leadership conference.

He says that a big priority for a de Jong government would be balancing the provincial books.

"It's pretty easy to talk about how we're going to spend money," de Jong said. "I happen to be from that school that says we better talk about how we're going to create wealth in the province. We still have a problem in B.C.; we still have a deficit -- $1.7 billion -- and not a lot has been said about that, but it does need to be talked about, because it's got to be our first priority."

He started off in politics as a school trustee at the age of 26, and has been a member of the provincial legislature since 1994. During his tenure, he's served as government house leader, solicitor general, attorney general and minister of three other portfolios.

But he doesn't have the endorsement of a single sitting cabinet minister. De Jong says that's because he has focused on building relationships with constituents instead of politicians.

"I actually don't want to be the leader of a party or a government where those decisions are made by politicians," he said. "

"The hiring here is going to be done by the people, and to have had upwards of 12,000 plus accept my invitation to join the party as compared to 30 or 40 politicians, I'm okay with that."

He would also like to see a reduced cabinet, and "that's not a position that necessarily endears you to one's colleagues."

In his spare time, de Jong says he likes to watch and even play hockey, although getting out on the ice isn't as easy as it used to be.

He uses his love of the sport to explain how he plans to regain the trust of British Columbians after a series of fiascos that shook the most recent Liberal government.

"You rebuild trust one play at a time, one shift at a time," de Jong said. "There's going to be tough times, you're going to have to play some penalties, and hopefully once in a while you'll go on a power play. Here's what I do know: the players on my team, including the folks campaigning, all of us have to recognize that we are playing on the same team."

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mike Killeen