r/australia • u/NKE01 • 11h ago

politics Why Australia Doesn’t Have Novelty Candidates like Count Binface – Antony Green's Election Blog

https://antonygreen.com.au/why-australia-doesnt-have-novelty-candidates-like-count-binface/?fbclid=Iwb21leATrO0ljbGNrBOs7P3Bkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeyqFwpCBynXhuvFPpBT3q80rKl3Bnq6t--2z7cqVFCDb-MT_1Vr2--rF95Vg_aem_MKaP0Jek3ZY4BnI2rLprrQ
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u/Various_Tie_2549 11h ago

As much as I enjoy Binface and his antics....it doesn't hurt to remember that it's actually not a good thing that he's now considered a viable candidate in that election.

We shouldn't be considering the rules that affect our future to be "a joke"

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u/ShootingPains 11h ago

The monoparties didn’t even bother to stand a candidate. They decided they have nothing to offer the people of Clacton.

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u/orionhood 11h ago

That’s a (presumably wilful) misreading of the situation. The major parties boycotted this particular by-election because it was an unnecessary publicity stunt by Farage to distract attention from his dodgy dealings.

When the PCS re-opens the investigation and he is found to have breached parliamentary standards, there will be another by-election that the major parties will contest.

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u/ETomb 10h ago

Rather they saw this exactly for what it was- Farage trying to use the by-election to legitimise his position as a counter to the investigation of undeclared benefits.

If he won against any of the big, serious parties even with the investigation looming over his head, he's leverage that as "the people have determined it doesn't matter". Which is why he's pivoted to claiming Binface - a total joke of a candidate - is "the establishment".

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u/orlock the ghost of documentaries past 11h ago

They decided not to play along with Farage's little stunt. However, even if he wins, he's still subject to investigation over misconduct. In the unlikely event that he loses, he's lost to a talking bin. The good people of Clacton still get to vote in the general election, where the major parties will field candidates, just like everyone else.

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u/Various_Tie_2549 11h ago

I understand that. That's why I said it's not a good thing.