The largest number of candidates in Canadian history have their names on the ballot for the June 19 Winnipeg South Centre byelection..Of the 48 candidates confirmed to run on Elections Canada’s website, all but five are independents fielded by the Longest Ballot Committee (LBC,) a Winnipeg-based political activist group.. Damir StipanoviuchDamir Stipanovich .One of the five is running for the Rhinoceros Party, another for the Green Party, so that leaves four serious candidates — CPC, Liberal, NDP, and perhaps PPC — on a long ballot that’ll have two columns..The LBC ‘candidates’ don’t hope to win. They don’t want to win. They aren’t even trying to win. Many don’t live in the riding or the province, which is allowed under the Elections Act. Yet their names are on the ballot..But what’s in a name? Well, sometimes an entire political campaign rests on someone else’s famous name, which brings us to LBC’s Donovan Eckstrom..“Did you know that in 1964 in Winnipeg South Centre a man was born, and that young man was Wayne Gretzky? Vote Donovan Eckstrom for Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre.” And that sums up Eckstrom’s platform..(Although some sites say Gretzky was born in 1964, he was actually born in 1961 in Brandtford ON.).Eckstrom’s mockery of political-speak is brilliant and sadly, all too accurate in many cases. Tug at pride and the heart strings (The Great One), don’t say anything untrue, while saying nothing meaningful at all..LBC’s goal to glut the ballot with meaningless candidates was aimed at satirizing the voting process by protesting Canada’s electoral system..The biggest issue is that the party or coalition with the most elected members can form a majority despite only representing a minority of Canadians. In 2015, Prime Minister Justine Trudeau promised electoral reform. No big shock, another grand promise bit the dust..And why fix what’s not broken — for Trudeau, not Canadians — with his devoted bestie NDP leader Jagmeet Singh propping the Liberals up every which way but loose?.Nonetheless, LBC targeted Winnipeg South Centre, one of five June 19 byelections..“Having fun and breaking records until the democratic reform promised is delivered. Want to vote for yourself?” was the LBC pitch..In a true democracy, they are entitled to run. What does this all accomplish?.Not much. This is not going to define how politics is done in Canada..And judging by LBC’s performance in the 2022 Ontario Ontario's Mississauga-Lakeshore byelection — 33 candidates combined received 0.54% of the vote — it won’t impact Winnipeg South Centre..Unlike the by-election in Portage-Lisgar, essentially a two-way race between PPC leader Maxime Bernier and CPC candidate Branden Leslie, there’s no talk about vote-splitting between the independents and anyone else in Winnipeg South Centre..So, what is the point beyond it being a clownish mockery of the electoral system by candidates not seen as much as the heavies visiting the riding?.They include Trudeau, CPC leader Pierre Poilievre, and Chrystia Freeland, deputy PM. Oh, and Green Party leader Elizabeth is making a big to-do about visiting..Meanwhile, legitimate candidates and their volunteers are going door-to-door in the current heatwave, spending campaign donations given in good faith..Winnipeg South Centre has been a Liberal stronghold since it was created in 1987 and first contested in 1988, except from 2011-2015 when Conservative Joyce Bateman won..The riding was vacated in 2022 when Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Jim Carr, who held it since 2015, passed away..His son Ben Carr, who has worked as a teacher and principal, is trying to win his seat..Carr also worked for former federal heritage and foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly..Damir Stipanovic, both a Canadian Air Force reservist and civilian air traffic controller, in running under the CPC banner..PPC disc jockey Tyler Baer; NDP Clinical psychologist Julia Riddell; Green educator Doug Hemmerling; and Rhino party leader Sebastien CoRhino are also in the race..Pundits are saying the riding isn’t a sure Liberal bet and that a reasonable NDP showing could swipe Liberal votes..“Even in Liberal strongholds like this one, people are frustrated with and disappointed with Justin Trudeau," said Poilievre who door-knocked in the riding Friday..So no, the effort to saturate the ballot won’t accomplish much of anything. But at least someone is fighting for desperately needed electoral reform.
