Fun at the Fringes of Democracy

In the upcoming provincial election, John Ince will be pressing the flesh for The Sex Party. He will also be shaking hands and kissing babes.

Ince calls his newly-formed party the world’s first exclusively dedicated to furthering a positive image for sex.

“The traditional parties ignore sexuality. We embrace it,” said Ince, who is co-owner of The Art of Loving, a sex boutique and bookstore in Vancouver.

The Sex Party platform, to be unveiled tomorrow, will include a call for an end to the B.C. Film Classification Office, which Ince argues serves as a government-financed “protection racket for the porn industry.”

The Sex Party is one of 46 registered to contest the May 17 election. Four parties — the governing BC Liberals, opposition New Democrats, Greens and the new Democratic Reform B.C., called Doctor BeeCee for its acronym — will take the vast majority of votes. (Election Central will examine each of these in the coming days.)

The remaining parties — call ‘em micros, minis, one-man bands — offer the voter such an array of choices as to be a fringe festival of democracy. You’ve got appeals to your protest vote, your screw-‘em-all vote, and parties led by single-issue obsessives or mad-as-a-hatter wackadoodles.

Some bravely predict they’ll soon be installing new drapes for their offices at the Legislature in Victoria.

Whatever his fantasies — rich as they undoubtedly are — Ince of the Sex Party does not expect to be adding the letters MLA after his name any time soon. His quest to become an Honourable Member will begin in either Vancouver-Burrard, which includes the West End with its great promise of licentiousness, or against Premier Gordon Campbell in prim Vancouver-Point Grey. (“He must be shuddering in his boots at the thought of that,” Ince quipped. “I’m such a threat.”)

The Sex Party’s fundraising plans are likely to generate more controversy, as Ince will be issuing tax receipts for events somewhat more exotic than those usually found on the rubber-chicken circuit. The fundraisers, called SAVY (SexArtVoteYes!) celebrations, are gatherings in which erotic art is coupled with performances the party acknowledges are “edge-pushing and explicit.”

“There will be places where the audience can colour and create art out of their own genital organs,” Ince said. He also promises a couple will make love within an art installation, an echo of a performance piece in the summer of 2003 in which the climax included a couple engaged in mutual oral sex.

Politics has always had its share of blowhards; now, it will have blowjobs, too. At least the Sex Party gives us politicians who screw each other instead of the public. Unfortunately, the party’s slogan is flaccid: “Politics for a Sex-Positive Future.”

Heck, the Socreds did it

Having far more fun, and apparently doing so effortlessly, is the Work Less Party. They’ve been busy nominating candidates, with 11 already on the hustings to promote the advantages of a 32-hour work week.

Better yet, the party’s two slogans — “Alarm clocks kill dreams” and “Workers of the world relax” — should be heartily endorsed by Groucho Marxists. The party sells slogan T-shirts ($16) and buttons ($2), but I’m not sure how well received would be a request for a rush order.

The 46 parties contesting the May 17 elections have registered with Elections B.C., the non-partisan body responsible for provincial elections. Incidentally, none of the parties are allowed to call themselves “non-partisan.” Or “independent.” Or to include an occupation, title, honour, degree or any indication a candidate once held elected office. So don’t be looking on the ballot for the Disgraced Former Premiers Party or the Multi-Grammy-Award-Winning Music Producer David Foster, O.C., O.B.C., LL.D. Party.

Otherwise, short of swiping another party’s name, the possibilities are limitless.

Just ask Jeff Robert Evans of the Platinum Party of Employers Who Think and Act to Increase Awareness. Or Dr. Franklin Wayne Poley of the Party of Citizens Who Have Decided to Think for Themselves And Be Their Own Politicians.

While registering a party is easy, the post-election paperwork can be onerous. A candidate must submit a $100 deposit when they file nomination papers. This needs to be reported on form Sm-E (Summary of Election Expenses). If the C-note comes from the candidate’s own pocket, then it must be recorded as a political contribution to the campaign.

The good news is they can get back their deposit as long as they win 15 per cent of the vote in the riding. The bad news is a refund must be reported as “other income” on form St-I&E-E (Statement of Election Income and Expenses). Then there’s the S-T-Rcv form, the Sm-C, and the S-A1, not to mention the vagaries of Section 180 (5) (b) of the Election Act.

Lest one sneer at the hopeless cause of these small parties, keep in mind the mindboggling ascendance of Social Credit.

In the years after the Second World War, British Columbia’s few Socreds were a collection of warring sects including not a few funny-money advocates, conspiratorial anti-Semites, and all-around nutbars. No one could have foreseen the party going from fringe in 1949 (the Social Credit Party got 1.21 per cent of the vote, while the rival B.C. Social Credit League got 0.44 per cent) to power in 1952 (with just 30.18 per cent). W.A.C. Bennett then sat in the premier’s chair for 20 years.

Today, the fringe. Tomorrow, the world.

Tom Hawthorn is a Victoria reporter who wishes the Rhinoceros Party was not extinct.