Parti Rhinoceros

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Parti Rhinoceros
Rhino logo.jpg
Party leader Rhinoceros Cornelius I.
founding 1963
resolution 1993
Alignment Humor , satire

The Parti Rhinocéros (French for rhinoceros party ; English Rhinoceros Party ; short Rhino ) was a registered political party in Canada from 1963 to 1993 , which initially ran primarily in Québec . The aim of the party was political satire and the ridicule of those in power, and it made curiously absurd demands and election promises to entertain the public. Their self-declared principle was the election promise not to keep any of their own election promises. In 1980, the party also announced that if it ever won an election, it would disband immediately and force new elections - party members found elections so entertaining that they wanted to hold them all the time.

The party has never won a single mandate. Its best results were in 1980 the second-highest share of votes in two constituencies and in 1984 the fourth-highest result at the federal level. In 1988 the party had about 33,000 members in Canada, over 1,000 members in the United States, and supporters in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands; Memberships were available for $ 5 for life.

The rhinoceros party claims to have a formal alliance with the British Official Monster Raving Loony Party .

Logo and motto

The party saw itself as the spiritual heritage of the Brazilian Partido Cacareco ( port. : Cacarecopartei), which in 1958 in protest against the other candidates the rhino females Cacareco the local zoo for the city council elections of São Paulo had set up; Cacareco won by far the most votes (almost 100,000). Following the Brazilian model, the Canadian party elected the rhinoceros Cornelius I from Granby Zoo near Montreal as chairman. According to the party, a rhinoceros is an ideal symbol because, like politicians, it has thick skin, is difficult to understand, moves slowly, but can become very fast in case of danger. In the 1980s, campaign manager Charlie McKenzie described rhinos as the prototype of a politician: “Myopic, gray, thick-skinned, and it likes to wallow in the dirt.” The party used the famous rhino woodcut by Albrecht Dürer , crowned, as its logo from the ironic saying D'une mare à l'autre (French for “from one pond to another”); the words allude to Canada's similar-sounding Latin motto a mari usque ad mare (“from one sea to another”).

Political opinions

The rhinoceros party developed and disseminated its views and slogans on the one hand at the national level, on the other hand it also gave individual candidates space to use their own ideas and slogans at the regional level. Penny Hoar (1952–1997), an unregistered rhinoceros candidate who campaigned for protected sex , distributed condoms in Toronto in 1993 under the slogan "Politicians cheat - protect yourself" (in the original, clearer sexual allusion: Politicians screw you - protect yourself ). The candidate Ted "not too" Sharp (English for: Ted "not too" intelligent) planned, among other things, to strengthen Canada's military to move the Antarctic into the Arctic Circle so that Canada would then control the entire cold of the world; when the next Cold War breaks out, the country will be unbeatable.

The rhinoceros party's election promises were otherwise characterized by humor. These included:

  • Revocation of the physical law of gravity (1984 by candidate Richard "the Troll " Schaller)
  • Providing higher education by building higher school building (engl. Provide higher education by building taller schools )
  • Introducing English, French and Illiteracy as Canada's three official languages
  • Creation of the world's largest parking lot by paving the province of Manitoba
  • Leveling the Rocky Mountains so Alberta residents could see the sun set over the Pacific
  • Damming the Saint Lawrence River to make Montreal the Venice of North America
  • Abolishing the environment because it is so difficult to keep clean and it takes up so much space
  • Annexation of the United States as the third Canadian territory after the Yukon and the Northwest Territories ( Nunavut did not yet exist) in order to eliminate foreign influence on Canada's natural resources
  • End crime by abolishing all laws
  • Hiring more military chapels to Canada's NATO commitments comply
  • Gradual introduction of left-hand traffic over five years: Initially, only large trucks and tractors were supposed to drive on the left, later buses and finally even smaller cars and cyclists
  • Paying off the Canadian national debt by credit card (candidate Richard "the Troll" Schaller)
  • Reducing energy consumption through a law that stipulates a lower boiling point for water
  • Declaration of war on Belgium because the Belgian comic character Tim (from Tim und Struppi ) in the book Tim kills a rhino in the Congo ( in the original version, Tim blows up a living rhino , which in German editions up to 2007 is mostly replaced by a mishap of the rhino The war would be canceled if Belgium brought mussels and a case of Belgian beer to the headquarters of the Rhinoceros Party in Montreal - which the Belgian embassy in Ottawa really did.)
  • The 400 km limit for Canadian deep-sea fishing is painted in watercolor so that Canadian fish always know where they are
  • Ban on the Canadian winters (feared because of their cold)
  • Conversion of the Trans-Canada Highway into a one-way street
  • Exchange of Canada's currency for chewing gum so that inflation (literally: inflate) and deflation (literally: deflate) could be regulated as desired
  • Donate a free rhino to every emerging artist in Canada
  • Thousand Islands census to see if Americans stole some

Michel Rivard once used the free television advertising time that the Rhinoceros Party, like all other political parties, was entitled to to announce, “I have only two things to tell you: celery and sidewalk. Thank you good night."

Party history and known members

Foundation and early years

The rhinoceros party was founded in 1963 by the doctor and author Jacques Ferron (1921–1985), who also joined the serious Parti Québécois in 1969 . The future US party member Bill "Spaceman" Lee declared a quarter of a century later that a group of professors from the University of Montreal had the idea of ​​the party as a satire on the existing parties in Québec; the group saw the absurdity of the “system” in which all questions were asked in a yes / no format, without the possibility of a gray area.

In its early days, the party members were mainly French-speaking Québecans. At the time, the party appointed its only member who spoke only English (and no French) as its official translator.

In the Canadian federal elections, party founder Ferron (1979), the poet Gaston Miron (1972) and the singer Michel Rivard (1980) ran in Montreal , the constituency of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau . Later party members referred to themselves as Marxist-Lennonists after Groucho Marx and John Lennon , a parody of Marxist-Leninists that had already been used in a similar form by the American comedian group The Firesign Teatre in 1969.

Because of its absurd election promises (see above ) and the political orientation of some members who advocated Québec independence or communism, the party is said to have been monitored by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 1971 to 1984 . The RCMP files were not fully released, however, as this would allegedly threaten Canada's defensive capabilities and make it difficult to detect “subversive or hostile activity”.

In the early 1980s, the party celebrated its greatest electoral successes, becoming the fourth largest Canadian party at the federal level in 1984 (see below ). At the same time, the party went through a crisis when, in 1981, the zoo exchanged its chairman Cornelius I for a giraffe at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in San Diego, California. In 1984 Charlie McKenzie auditioned at the US Embassy in Ottawa for the "release" of the rhinoceros, but was not admitted to the ambassador. Of particular concern was the death of Cornelius' companion Stella, whom McKenzie attributed to KGB activity. However, Cornelius was not returned to Canada. In 1984 the party received official status in Canada, which entitles, among other things, to free television advertising time. Party founder Ferron died a year later. A week later, on April 30, 1984, the party announced its dissolution; Years earlier it had allegedly been decided that the party should not outlive its founder. In fact, the party persisted.

US presidential election

In the following years, according to Charlie McKenzie, who would head the party from 1988, was allegedly showered with requests from Americans to introduce the party in the neighboring country. As early as 1980, the party members had decided at a meeting in their headquarters (English. Hindquarters ) in Montreal to nominate the US American "Steam Train Maury" Graham known as Hobo as a US presidential candidate against Ronald Reagan ; Graham had come to Montreal (by bus, not train) at the age of 82, but had turned down the nomination. 1987 now announced the famous American former professional baseball - pitcher Bill Lee to compete in the following year for rhino party as US presidential candidate. He had the support of Charlie McKenzie; Hunter S. Thompson was nominated as a vice-presidential candidate (without his ever approval) because he knew more than anyone about “vice” (English for “ vice ”, but also “ vice ”). On March 16, 1988, Lee won the rhinoceros party primary for the US state of New Hampshire ; it was held in Burlington , neighboring Vermont , according to McKenzie, because Vermont has never had a New Hampshire area code. At that time, the party had about 1,100 members nationwide in the United States, compared with about 33,000 in Canada. Further primaries were planned for the states of Massachusetts (early April in a nightclub in Cambridge ), Pennsylvania and Iowa . In contrast to the Canadian mother party, Lee's election campaign and candidacy were not officially recognized.

End of the rhinoceros party

In 1990 the rhinoceros party last appeared in a by-election . For the Canadian general election in 1993 , new regulations (extension of the Canada Elections Act by Bill C-114 ) were introduced, according to which candidates have to run in at least 50 constituencies and have to pay 1,000 (previously: 200) Canadian dollars per candidate per constituency. The rhinoceros party announced in early September that it would be removed from the registry of Canadian Political Parties as a protest .

The rhinoceros party actually stayed away from the election. Thereupon Jean-Pierre Kingsley, who held the post from 1990 to 2007 to oversee Canada's elections (English. Chief Electoral Officer ), deleted the party on September 23, 1993 from the list of political parties in Canada. Due to the stricter legal situation, the rhinoceros party - like many smaller parties that had also failed the candidate hurdles - was then also obliged to pay their assets and income to a government agency (Revenue Canada) . According to Charlie McKenzie in 1997, he had not yet paid the party's fortune and had no plans to do so. Kingsley has not yet taken legal action against him. According to McKenzies, the rhinoceros party is still legally in limbo, as the deletion from the official list of parties due to a loophole in the law will actually only take place once the party's assets have been submitted.

Political successor

The former Rhinzerosparte member François Gourd founded the political movement Entartistes , which treated the faces of politicians with cream cakes in the 1990s. Other former rhinos founded the Parti citron (French: lemon party), which pursues a similar orientation as the rhinoceros party. Several independent candidates have claimed to stand for the party since the de facto dissolution of the Rhinoceros Party.

In addition, there were various efforts to found the rhinoceros party. Brian Salmi tried this for the 2001 election of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly . Several humorous actions by Salmi's group were reported in the media, but ultimately only two candidates appeared on the election lists, for the constituencies of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Vancouver-Burrard . Shortly thereafter, the party disbanded. After Salmi changed his name to Satan , he sued his government in 2007 in the Satan vs. Her Majesty The Queen ( "Satan against Her Majesty the Queen ") to 50 million dollars in damages because of the imposed in 1993 electoral law, which had led to the dissolution of the Rhinoceros Party. The court dismissed the action, especially since the disputed regulation had already been weakened in 2004.

The successor party NeoRhino Party was founded in 2006 to revive the spirit of the rhinoceros party. The name component “Neo” (Greek: new) is supposed to be borne by the title character of the Matrix films, which does not adhere to the rules of the system. In addition to humor, the Neorhinos also want to offer a forum for left-wing political discussions. Their up to seven candidates from Québec could not build on the successes of the rhinoceros party in the first two elections: In the by-elections in 2007 three candidates stood and won 0.4 to 1.6% of the votes in their respective constituencies. Participation in the 2008 general election with seven candidates - all in Québec - only resulted in a gain of 0.02% of the vote.

Election results

The rhinoceros party never won a seat in the Canadian parliament . In some constituencies, however, when other parties weakened, they performed relatively well. In 1980, two Rhino candidates even received the second highest number of votes in their constituencies. They beat the candidates of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC) and were only defeated by the clearly winning candidates from the Liberal Party of Canada : In Laurier , the full-time comedian and clown candidate Sonia “ chatouille ” Côté reached the second best result with 12.6%. In the Langelier constituency , the freelance journalist Jean Obelix Lefebvre, with 8.1% (2,813 votes) - and only two votes ahead of the NDP candidate - also only had to admit defeat to the liberal candidate. The Liberals won 66.7 and 71.5 percent of the vote in the two constituencies.

In the lower house election to the 33rd Canadian parliament, the party achieved the fourth-best result nationwide with 0.79% of the vote, beating a separatist party from Québec and the Canadian Green Party, founded in 1983 . The following table shows the election results in all Canadian general election in which the Rhinoceros Party participated:

elections Number of nominated
candidates 		Number of
seats won 		Number of votes Share of votes Share of votes in constituencies
in which the party ran
1965 1 0 321 0.0%
1968 2 0 5,802 0.07%
1972 ( * ) 1 0 1,565 0.02%
1979 63 0 62,601 0.55% 2.32%
1980 120 0 110.286 1.01% 2.43%
1984 88 0 98.171 0.78% 2.39%
1988 74 0 52.173 0.40% 1.47%

(*) Note:

For the 1972 election, the rhinoceros party entered with 12 (other) candidates. However, it was not recognized as a registered party at the federal level, which is why its candidates officially ran as independent candidates.

Web links

(all references are in English)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Abbreviation pages of the Canadian Parliament, e.g. B. on Laurier constituency (accessed March 29, 2009)
  2. ^ Marika Kemeny: A Writer's Voices - A Celebration of Jacques Ferron at Glendon . ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. York University , undated / January 26, 2006 (English); accessed March 30, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / gl.yorku.ca
  3. ↑ a b Rhino party escapes extinction to run in September byelection. Candidate running on promise to rename the country Nantucket . Canadian State Radios , CBC News, Aug 7, 2007; accessed March 31, 2009
  4. ↑ a b Beth McKenzie: Flora running scared, Rhino candidate claims , The Queen's Journal. January 25, 1980. 
  5. ^ Rhinos elect the 'Spaceman' . In: New York Times , February 21, 1988, p. 42; Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  6. ^ The Rhino Vote . Time , October 19, 1959 (English); accessed March 30, 2009.
  7. ↑ Enéas Carneiro. Cardiologist and celebrated populist politician in Brazil . Times Online , May 28, 2007 (English); accessed March 30, 2009.
  8. ↑ a b c Ingrid Peritz: After years of near-extinction, the whacky Rhino party is back . The Globe and Mail , Aug. 8, 2007; Accessible free of charge at apathyisboring.com ( Memento of the original from December 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English); accessed March 30, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.apathyisboring.com
  9. ↑ according to engl. Wikipedia on: Evan Kayne: Federal election in dire need of laughs . ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. FFWD Weekly , January 12, 2006 (not available March 31, 2009) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ffwdweekly.com
  10. ↑ a b David S. Martin: The Associated Press, Sunday, AM cycle, April 5, 1987 (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009 on LexisNexis .
  11. ^ Whore Heroines and Heroes . Commercial Sex Information Services. March 3, 2004. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  12. ↑ Penny Hoar. July 21, 1952 - February 7, 1997 . on walnet.org (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  13. ↑ Canada Rhino Party thunders off softly . New York Times , AP, May 1, 1985 (English); accessed March 30, 2009.
  14. ↑ Joanna Habdank: Longtime Rhino candidate dies of cancer at 63 years of age . ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. The Vancouver Sun , October 12, 2006; Retrieved March 29, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.canada.com
  15. ^ A b c d Dan Brown: The Heirs of the Rhino Party . Canadian State Radios , CBC News, June 19, 2004; Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  16. ↑ a b c d In depth. The Rhinoceros party. The rebirth of the ridiculous . Canadian State Radios , CBC News, Aug 8, 2007; Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  17. ↑ a b From the campaign literature of Judi Skuce, candidate for The Beaches, in the 1979 election.
  18. ↑ a b Patrick Lejthenyi: Back from extinction. The NeoRhino Party inherits the oddball status of its predecessor, but adds a (semi) serious side . ( Memento of October 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) The Montreal Mirror , 23. – 29. August 2007 (Vol. 23, Issue 10).
  19. ^ A b Charles Campbell: Satirical party thunders off Canadian scene . The Associated Press PM cycle, May 1, 1985; Retrieved from LexisNexis on March 29, 2009.
  20. ↑ with reference to a defunct article on the Canadian Yahoo! News: Zpravodajec: Neorhino Party Promise Marijuana and Orgasms for Everyone . shortnews.com, November 8, 2007 (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  21. ↑ Joanna Habdank: Longtime Rhino candidate dies of cancer at 63 years of age . ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The Vancouver Sun , October 12, 2006 (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009. David S. Martin (April 5, 1987). The Associated Press, Sunday, AM cycle ; Retrieved March 29, 2009 from LexisNexis . @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.canada.com
  22. ^ Dateline Montreal Grand Prix update . Forces Canada. September 5, 2003. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 29, 2011. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.forces.org
  23. ↑ Dr. Robinson: Introductory Canadian Politics
  24. ↑ a b Short messages from the Ottawa Citizen and the Southam News agency (2001), printed by a private user on the pages of paganforums.net ( memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and still Not checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. and partially quoted: Brian Salmi: yo, csis, here's your chance . Rhinoceros party (English); accessed March 31, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.paganforums.net
  25. ↑ Bill Whitelow: Rhinoceros party wants Iceland count , The Whig-Standard. January 22, 1980. 
  26. ^ André Bernard: Parti Rhinocéros ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  27. ↑ Dave Fay: Bill Lee, space traveler; Baseball's definitive flake remains outrageous at 42 . In: Washington Times , August 24, 1989, print page D1 (English); Retrieved from LexisNexis on March 29, 2009.
  28. ↑ The cover of the Firesign Theater album How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All showed photographs by Groucho Marx and John Lennon with the words "ДLL НДІL МДRX LЄИИФИ" (for example: Heil Marx Lennon) , which is why the album is sometimes referred to as "All Hail Marx and Lennon".
  29. ↑ subversive or hostile activities . Fred McMahon: Keystone Kops .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The Moncton Times & Transcript , The Halifax Daily News , October 1, 1999 (accessed March 31, 2009)@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.aims.ca  
  30. ↑ CP: Rhinoceros seeks chief at embassy . In: The Globe and Mail , August 17, 1984 (English); Retrieved from LexisNexis on March 29, 2009.
  31. ^ Area code in Massachusetts: according to other information before March 11, 1988 in a "sports bar near Boston ": Lee gets nod for Rhino's nominee . ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Chicago Sun-Times , March 11, 1988 - beginning of article printed (full article available for a fee) on highbeam.com (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009. General references for this paragraph:  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.highbeam.com
    • William C. Trott: Spaceman pitches . United Press International , April 5, 1988; Retrieved from LexisNexis March 29, 2009.
    • Rhinos elect the 'Spaceman' . In: The New York Times , February 21, 1988, New York Print, Section 1, p. 42; Retrieved March 29, 2009.
    • Jonathan Yardley: Low and Inside . In: Washington Post , February 24, 2005, print edition: S. CO2 (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009.
    • Joel Yanofsky: Life after the Expos: Bill Lee, a colorful character from baseball's past, recounts his adventures in the two decades since he stormed out of the clubhouse . The Gazette (Montreal) , March 5, 2005, print version p. H5 (English); Retrieved from LexisNexis on March 29, 2009
  32. ↑ a b Michelle Lalonde: Campaign loses color as some fringe parties bite the dust; ELECTION '93 . In: The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec) , September 29, 1993, p. A11 (English); Retrieved March 29 from LexisNexis .
  33. ^ Paul Hellyer: Marginal characters - A guide to some of Canada's lesser-known political parties . ( Memento of July 3, 2002 in the Internet Archive ) In: Montreal Mirror , May 1, 1997 (English); Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  34. ^ Bill C-2: The Canada Elections Act . Prepared by: James R. Robertson. Law and Government Division. October 15, 1999. Revised March 9, 2000 (English); accessed on March 29 from the Google cache. Quoted from:
    • Clause 385 provides that the Chief Electoral Officer shall suspend the registration of a registered party that endorses fewer than 50 candidates. (This is consistent with the requirement for an eligible party to endorse at least 50 candidates in order to be registered. The requirement for at least 50 candidates was brought in by Bill C-114 in 1993 and resulted in the suspension of several parties. This provision has been successful in challenges in the courts, but is currently under appeal.)
    • Clause 398 provides for the de-registration of a suspended party. Special provision is made in clause 394 for registered parties who are suspended for having fewer than 50 candidates (clause 385): so long as they have a net balance of assets, the leader can apply for registration as a party under clause 366, thereby avoiding the remittance of assets. Clause 398 (2) provides for the de-registration of such parties.
    • Clause 468 provides for the reimbursement of the deposit of a candidate who fulfills the reporting requirements. This is a change from the existing legislation, whereby candidates are entitled to the return of half of the deposit if they comply with the reporting requirements and the other half only if they receive at least 15% of the votes cast. This provision was introduced in 1993, at which time the amount of the deposit was increased to its current $ 1,000; the provision has been criticized as being a barrier to independent candidates and smaller parties who are unlikely to receive many votes.
  35. ↑ Charlie McKenzie: Why the voice of the Rhino isn't heard in the land. The Rhinoceros Party, once a significant political force, is but a memory. Blame the Elections Act . In: The Globe and Mail , April 25, 1997, p. A19 (English); Retrieved from LexisNexis on March 29, 2009.
  36. ^ Sarah Babbage: A new political animal is on the scene. The neorhino.ca party has hit the streets of Outremont promising free education, a slimmer economy, and orgasms for everyone . ( Memento of the original from October 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The McGill Daily , September 13, 2007, Volume 97, Issue 4 (English); accessed March 31, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mcgilldaily.com
  37. ^ History of Federal Ridings since 1867. LAURIER, Quebec (1933–1987) . Section 32nd Parliament, 1980/02/18. on the pages of the Canadian Parliament; accessed March 30, 2009.
  38. ^ History of Federal Ridings since 1867. LANGELIER, Quebec (1966–1990) . Section 32nd Parliament, 1980/02/18. on the pages of the Canadian Parliament; Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  39. ↑ Toronto Star , October 31, 1972.