Politics is not always serious

If you didn’t think Donald Trump’s antics and the Brexit farce were enough to cast politics in a bizarre light then just take a look at the upcoming Canadian federal elections. On the ballot paper in the Quebec riding (electoral district) of Beauce is a certain Maxime Bernier. Or rather there are two Maxime Berniers vying for the people of Beauce’s votes.

One is the current MP, who leads a populist Right-wing People’s Party of Canada noted for its hardline anti-immigration stance; the other is Maxime Bernier, who is standing for the satirical Rhino Party (think New Zealand’s now-defunct McGillicuddy Serious Party) and is certain to bring a fair degree of levity – and confusion.

The latter’s campaign slogan is unambiguous: ‘‘If in doubt, vote for both’’. Rhino’s leader Sebastien Corriveau searched long and hard to find another genuine Maxime Bernier to take on the long-serving PPC politician, so much so that he sent messages to 70 people of that name before Facebook banned him for suspicious activity.

However, his search was not in vain. He found one Maxime Bernier who was prepared to take on his namesake in the Beauce election.

The Rhino Party has unsuccessfully run candidates in Canada’s federal elections on and off since 1963 and was once dubbed by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as ‘‘the court jesters of the nation’’, which the Rhinos took as a compliment.

While Bernier No 2 has been accused of sowing seeds of confusion, he maintains he is taking the candidacy seriously and will focus on local issues.

It’s hard to take his party’s manifesto seriously though, advocating as it does to repeal the law of gravity (surely doomed to fall flat) and boost Canada’s economy by giving Canadians two jobs each. It also pledges to repeal lottery laws and offer senate seats as prizes instead of cash.

Joke parties are nothing new, springing up in elections from Denmark (Union of Conscientiously Work-shy Elements) to Iran (the Donkeys Party).

Here in New Zealand, apart from the McGillicuddy Party, we’ve had the Imperial British Conservative Party, the Civilian Party and even the Bill and Ben Party.

However, it goes without saying that it’s the eccentric Brits who have managed to conjure up the longest list. More than a dozen strange parties have come and, in most cases, gone.

The most enduring was, of course, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, established in 1983 by ‘‘musician’’ Screaming Lord Sutch, who also dubbed himself the 3rd Earl of Harrow.

Sutch remained leader of the party until 1997, just two years before his death, and he set a record for losing more than 40 elections.

The UK has a long tradition of frivolous parties, including the Church of the Militant Elvis (also known as the Bus Pass Elvis Party) and the Teddy Bear Alliance, which was formed and led by TV comedian and columnist Dom Joly.

In the 1997 election, Joly famously hired hundreds of teddy bear costumes to stage mock protests at Westminster. The publicity resulted in him garnering 218 votes, earning him fifth place out of nine candidates.

Joly then began to take politics more seriously and this year he joined the Liberal Democrats.

Although the Teddy Bear Alliance never won any seats, tongue-in-cheek parties can sometimes be successful.

For instance, the Polish Beer-Lovers’ Party (established in Poland to promote beer drinking in British-style pubs as opposed to widespread vodka consumption) won 16 seats in 1991.

Supporters claimed, ‘‘the party might not be better but it will be funnier’’.

Well, with world politics in its current state, we could do with a laugh.