Bill and Ben Party
Encyclopedia
The Bill and Ben Party was a New Zealand
joke political party
formed in 2008 and voluntarily deregistered in 2010. The party's leaders were Jamie Linehan and Ben Boyce ("Bill" and Ben) of the TV3
satirical sports show Pulp Sport
. In the 2008 general election
the party secured 0.56% of the votes cast, outpolling every other party not in parliament at the time (New Zealand First
, a party in parliament prior to 2008 failed to gain representation in the subsequent parliament). Overall, they gained the ninth highest number of votes out of the nineteen parties standing for election.
As a joke political party, it shared a rich and varied heritage with the vanished former McGillicuddy Serious Party
and Imperial British Conservative Party
, both humorous political entities which contested New Zealand general elections from the seventies until the late nineties.
On 1 July 2008 the party applied for registration with the Electoral Commission, which would allow it to contest the party vote. The party was registered by the Electoral Commission on 29 July 2008. On 31 July 2008 the party applied to register a logo with the Electoral Commission.
The party states that it managed to secure its required five hundred members for Electoral Act registration after locating the requisite number of inebriated university students outside a student drinking establishment.
, the Bill and Ben Party chose not to apply for the $10,000 in advertising money that all political parties are entitled to. They felt this was a waste of tax payer's money, and self-funded their advertising. This also meant that did not qualify for a TVNZ Political Party Opening Address.
They stood on a "no policies, no promises, no disappointment" platform and had the slogan "We're putting the party back in political party". It is understood New Zealand First Party Leader Winston Peters
took exception to one of their election signs which uses the phrase "C'mon, you voted Winston in".
In the election on 8 November, the party secured 13,016 votes (0.56% of the total votes cast), thus allowing them to rebate the $1000 party registration fee. They took this money and put it on the bar in Invercargill
as they received more votes from Invercargill than any other place in New Zealand.
Even though they are a joke political party, they out-polled all but one party (New Zealand First
) that did not gain representation in the last election, including every other new party: the New Zealand Pacific Party
, The Kiwi Party, The Family Party, the Workers Party and the Residents Action Movement
. They gained the ninth highest number of votes out of the nineteen parties standing for election, and would have earned a seat if there had been no electoral threshold. They spent a total of NZ$3777 on advertising, or $0.29 per vote, making them the most effective party in terms of dollars per vote.
Due to the way that mixed member proportional representation
works in New Zealand, had the Bill and Ben Party crossed the minimum 5% threshold required to be admitted to parliament (without an electoral seat), the total number of MPs would have been reduced by about four (an "underhang"). This is because 5% of the vote would entitle them to approximately six MPs but they have listed only two candidates (Bill and Ben) on their party list. However, the underhang would have partially been cancelled out by the Maori Party
's overhang, having won five electorate seats when only entitled to three by the party vote.
held on 13 June and secured 151 votes (0.76% of the total votes cast), coming fifth overall. This is an improvement on the 0.38% party vote they obtained in Mt Albert for the 2008 election. He out-polled the candidate from United Future New Zealand, a former MP, and every other micro party and independent candidate, including the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
and The Kiwi Party.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
joke political party
Joke political party
A frivolous party or a joke party is a political party which has been created for the purposes of entertainment or political satire. Such a party may or may not have a serious point behind its activities...
formed in 2008 and voluntarily deregistered in 2010. The party's leaders were Jamie Linehan and Ben Boyce ("Bill" and Ben) of the TV3
TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
satirical sports show Pulp Sport
Pulp Sport
Pulp Sport was a TV show filmed in New Zealand, that mixes sport with various styles of comedy. The hosts Jamie Linehan and Ben Boyce act under their respective pseudonyms Bill and Ben, performing a half hour of various sports based skits...
. In the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
the party secured 0.56% of the votes cast, outpolling every other party not in parliament at the time (New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
, a party in parliament prior to 2008 failed to gain representation in the subsequent parliament). Overall, they gained the ninth highest number of votes out of the nineteen parties standing for election.
As a joke political party, it shared a rich and varied heritage with the vanished former McGillicuddy Serious Party
McGillicuddy Serious Party
The McGillicuddy Serious Party operated as a satirical political party in New Zealand politics during the late 20th century. Between 1984 and 1999, McGillicuddy Serious provided "colour" to New Zealand politics to ensure that citizens not take the political process too seriously...
and Imperial British Conservative Party
Imperial British Conservative Party
The Imperial British Conservative Party was a farcical political party founded by The Wizard of New Zealand. It was dedicated to the grand traditions of British Imperialism in the face of capitalism, globalisation and the distinct lack of culture in Christchurch, New Zealand.The Imperial British...
, both humorous political entities which contested New Zealand general elections from the seventies until the late nineties.
On 1 July 2008 the party applied for registration with the Electoral Commission, which would allow it to contest the party vote. The party was registered by the Electoral Commission on 29 July 2008. On 31 July 2008 the party applied to register a logo with the Electoral Commission.
The party states that it managed to secure its required five hundred members for Electoral Act registration after locating the requisite number of inebriated university students outside a student drinking establishment.
2008 general election
For the 2008 general electionNew Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, the Bill and Ben Party chose not to apply for the $10,000 in advertising money that all political parties are entitled to. They felt this was a waste of tax payer's money, and self-funded their advertising. This also meant that did not qualify for a TVNZ Political Party Opening Address.
They stood on a "no policies, no promises, no disappointment" platform and had the slogan "We're putting the party back in political party". It is understood New Zealand First Party Leader Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
took exception to one of their election signs which uses the phrase "C'mon, you voted Winston in".
In the election on 8 November, the party secured 13,016 votes (0.56% of the total votes cast), thus allowing them to rebate the $1000 party registration fee. They took this money and put it on the bar in Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
as they received more votes from Invercargill than any other place in New Zealand.
Even though they are a joke political party, they out-polled all but one party (New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
) that did not gain representation in the last election, including every other new party: the New Zealand Pacific Party
New Zealand Pacific Party
The New Zealand Pacific Party was a Christian political party that existed in New Zealand from 2008 to 2010. The party was founded as a vehicle for former Labour MP Taito Phillip Field, who was subsequently convicted for bribery and corruption...
, The Kiwi Party, The Family Party, the Workers Party and the Residents Action Movement
Residents Action Movement
The Residents Action Movement was a political party in New Zealand. RAM described itself as a broad left coalition, stretching from social liberals, community activists and former National Party members to social democrats, democratic socialists and left-wing radicals...
. They gained the ninth highest number of votes out of the nineteen parties standing for election, and would have earned a seat if there had been no electoral threshold. They spent a total of NZ$3777 on advertising, or $0.29 per vote, making them the most effective party in terms of dollars per vote.
Due to the way that mixed member proportional representation
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
works in New Zealand, had the Bill and Ben Party crossed the minimum 5% threshold required to be admitted to parliament (without an electoral seat), the total number of MPs would have been reduced by about four (an "underhang"). This is because 5% of the vote would entitle them to approximately six MPs but they have listed only two candidates (Bill and Ben) on their party list. However, the underhang would have partially been cancelled out by the Maori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
's overhang, having won five electorate seats when only entitled to three by the party vote.
2009 Mount Albert by-election
Ben stood in the 2009 Mount Albert by-electionMount Albert by-election, 2009
A by-election was held in the New Zealand electorate of Mount Albert on 13 June 2009. There were fifteen candidates in the election. David Shearer of the Labour Party won the election with 63% of the vote...
held on 13 June and secured 151 votes (0.76% of the total votes cast), coming fifth overall. This is an improvement on the 0.38% party vote they obtained in Mt Albert for the 2008 election. He out-polled the candidate from United Future New Zealand, a former MP, and every other micro party and independent candidate, including the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party is a political party in New Zealand. It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances...
and The Kiwi Party.