Australians think of ourselves as laid-back larrikins, but the major parties have made it nigh impossible for an Australian equivalent to Count Binface to emerge. That’s despite a long history in Australia of joke parties, like the Sun Ripened Warm Tomatoes Party, the Surprise Party and the Deadly Serious Party.
What do you mean? Yes they can. The coalition has been running for years.
It’s very important for democracy that all candidates have oligarch money behind them.
This is not about restricting cabdidates, it’s about parties.
Australia has had joke candidates in the past. There was Murgatroyd, who ran satirical campaigns in PMs’ electorates through the 80s and 90s. Was the law changed to prevent others from continuing this tradition?
In 2021, the Morrison Coalition Government and Labor Opposition agreed to restrict the names of political parties. ‘Frivolous’ party names are forbidden, which kills the Count Binface Party stone dead. That’s despite a long history in Australia of joke parties, like the Sun Ripened Warm Tomatoes Party, the Surprise Party and the Deadly Serious Party.
Australia also places other barriers in the way of candidates. Count Binface needed the endorsement of 10 residents of Clacton to run in the by-election; an Australian independent would require 100.
In Australia, party candidates do not need any nominators (another advantage the incumbents have given themselves), but registering a party requires 1,500 members. That is prohibitive for parties focused on local or regional issues. In the UK, you only need two members: a treasurer and a returning officer.
You’re fuck’n kidding right?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Australia
Check out the list, but the United Party is a perfect example of a pub bet masquerading as a political party.
Sadly, it costs so much that even serious non-joke parties cannot run. Just running candidates can cost as much as a new car.
The big blocker now is needing 500 members.
Just this week, I had to reenrol as a member of a party that only exists because all the small single-issue parties had to merge to make it on the ballot.
I’m busy, and I contribute almost nothing. But I make sure to stay signed so we continue to meet the bar.
There might be some clause about running as an independent though…
You’re a member of Fusion. I’ve found some of their policies interesting in the past. They have a fairly active and interesting Mastodon account.
For Fusion, IIUC each of the parties individually had enough members (though maybe marginal), that’s why they could run candidates in the past. You need the members to be cashed up enough to be able to run a candidate though. So for senate, realistically you need 3, and that’s $6,000. If the party support is distributed around Australia, like Fusion’s is, you must run 3x a number of states, and that adds up fast.
One Notion slipped through!
Perhaps more of a tragedy than a joke!
Probably bankrolled by fuckwits.
Bankrolled by the richest fuckwit in the country, Gina Rinehart.
Gentlemen, this is Democracy manifest. GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY PENIS!
Ah, I see you know your Judo well!
Joke parties can run, they just have to have to run on a “normal” name.
I can see why, eventually there would be an Albanese sucks party or slurs against minorities
I can see why, eventually there would be an Albanese sucks party or slurs against minorities
…except that doesn’t happen in AU/UK.
In the 2022 Victorian election (first one post-lockdown) there was a party called something like “Get rid of Dictator Dan”. Dan Andrews was the premier at the time, his support of the health department’s recommendations on Covid-19 made some people obsessed with him.
extremists are becoming bolder the past few years
and there is foreign interference in democratic processes from adversaries
democracy is an agreement and to protect democracy there must be limits or loop holes will be exploited
Extremists are forming full fledged parties, not standing one by one where they are easily beaten.
If you register a party and get people to vote for you, you’re a part of the democratic process. There are several parties who have what I think of as extreme views.
