The Guins

The Guins are the leading political party in Birdland and the current governing party, holding a parliamentary majority since the 2020 elections. Founded in 1987 by a coalition of local penguin species, the party has grown to become the most influential political force on the continent.

History

The Guins were formed in response to the increasing human presence on the continent during the late 20th century. As research stations multiplied and tourism grew without regulation, a group of community leaders from various penguin colonies convened the First Assembly of the Southern Provinces to discuss the continent's future.

The resulting declaration -- the Glacier Bay Compact of 1987 -- established the foundational principles that would become the Guins' political platform: that the species of the continent have an inherent right to self-governance, and that the preservation of their home must be the first priority of any government.

The party's name derives from the colloquial shortening of "penguin," adopted as a deliberate act of reclamation. "They called us penguins as though it were a category," founding member Frost Elder Galway said at the party's first congress. "We call ourselves Guins because it is an identity."

Party Platform

The Guins' current platform is built around five pillars:

1. National Sovereignty

Birdland is a sovereign nation, not an unclaimed territory. The Guins reject the premise of the Antarctic Treaty System's approach of treating the continent as a commons and instead advocate for Birdland's recognition as an independent state.

2. Diplomatic Engagement Over Isolation

Rather than seeking to exclude humans entirely, the Guins favor structured, diplomatic engagement. The party believes that managed cooperation produces better outcomes for conservation than adversarial isolation.

3. Environmental Stewardship

The health of the Antarctic ecosystem is treated as a matter of national security. This includes aggressive conservation policies, marine protection, and sustainable resource management.

4. Inter-Species Representation

While founded by penguins, the Guins have expanded their coalition to include representatives from seabird, seal, and marine species groups. The party's parliamentary caucus includes members from over a dozen species.

5. Resistance to Territorial Exploitation

The Guins firmly oppose any form of resource extraction, military use, or unchecked exploitation of Birdland's territory by foreign powers.

Electoral History

Year	Seats Won	Result
1990	23 / 100	Opposition
1994	31 / 100	Opposition
1998	38 / 100	Opposition
2002	44 / 100	Junior Coalition
2006	49 / 100	Senior Coalition
2010	51 / 100	Government (slim majority)
2014	55 / 100	Government
2018	58 / 100	Government
2020	62 / 100	Government
2024	67 / 100	Government (landslide)

Leadership

The party is led by President Augustus Wadsworth, with Parliamentary Leader Chinstrap Davies serving as the caucus chair. The Guins currently hold 67 of the 100 seats in the Birdland Parliament, their largest majority since the party's founding.

Opposition

The primary opposition party is the Southern Independents Alliance, a loose coalition of regional parties that holds 22 seats. The remaining 11 seats are held by minor parties and true independents, including several non-penguin representatives from the Seal Caucus and the Seabird Alliance.