Parti éléphant blanc de Montréal
Encyclopedia
The Parti éléphant blanc de Montréal (PÉBM) (English: White Elephant Party of Montreal) was a fringe political party in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
, that existed for most of the period from 1989 to 2009.
. A party spokesperson said that it would "half humorous, half serious" and "use humor to make a serious point." Although similar in some respects to the Rhinoceros Party of Canada
and the Parti citron
, it was not formally aligned with those parties.
and fielded a number of candidates for the Montreal city council
. The party's election literature was filled with puns and jokes, including a pledge to use its tusk
s to skewer "elected officials who never open their mouths except to yawn and never stand except to go to the bathroom." This notwithstanding, Bédard also focused on poverty and hunger issues, promising to start a line of government-owned restaurants to feed the poor with surplus foods from restaurants and bakeries. During the election, the PÉBM also promised to turn parking lots into green spaces, ban neon signs and advertisements on bus terminals, and increase heritage protection.
The party again fielded Bédard as its mayoral candidate in the 1994 municipal election
, in which capacity he presided over total party electoral budget of only one thousand dollars. During this campaign, Bédard described the party's name as follows: "The white elephant is the only animal that doesn't fear its rivals because it is thought to be the wisest and most serene animal of all. It's a symbol of prosperity, security and confidence, all of which are very important qualities in a political party. And the color of the animal we have chosen as our symbol is white, because we are still pure. We are not corrupt like many other political parties out there." He again focused on food issues and promoted a by-law that would have required restaurants to give their surplus food to food bank
s.
Bédard changed the PÉBM's name to the Parti Montréal 2000 the 1998 municipal election
but returned to the original name for 2001
. In the latter campaign, he was forcibly ejected from at least two mayoral debates to which he had not been formally invited. He once again focused on food issues, and also pledged more support for community groups that assist prostitutes and drug addicts.
After using the PÉBM designation again in 2005
, Bédard changed the party's name to Parti Fierté Montréal
in 2009
.
No PÉBM candidate ever came close to winning election.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, that existed for most of the period from 1989 to 2009.
Origins
The PÉBM was created by Michel Bédard in August 1989, with the stated purpose of giving Montrealers an alternative in the 1990 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1990
The 1990 Montreal municipal election took place on November 4, 1990, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jean Doré was elected to a second term as mayor by a significant margin....
. A party spokesperson said that it would "half humorous, half serious" and "use humor to make a serious point." Although similar in some respects to the Rhinoceros Party of Canada
Rhinoceros Party of Canada
The Parti Rhinocéros, commonly known as the Rhinoceros Party in English, was a registered political party in Canada from the 1960s to the 1990s...
and the Parti citron
Parti Citron
The Lemon Party of Canada is a frivolous Canadian party which has operated on a federal level, as well as provincially in Quebec. The party was officially registered on January 8, 1987, by then leader, Denis R. Patenaude and deregistered on November 14, 1998 for failing to have at least ten...
, it was not formally aligned with those parties.
Campaigns
The PÉBM ran Bédard as its mayoral candidate in the 1990 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1990
The 1990 Montreal municipal election took place on November 4, 1990, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jean Doré was elected to a second term as mayor by a significant margin....
and fielded a number of candidates for the Montreal city council
Montreal City Council
The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...
. The party's election literature was filled with puns and jokes, including a pledge to use its tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
s to skewer "elected officials who never open their mouths except to yawn and never stand except to go to the bathroom." This notwithstanding, Bédard also focused on poverty and hunger issues, promising to start a line of government-owned restaurants to feed the poor with surplus foods from restaurants and bakeries. During the election, the PÉBM also promised to turn parking lots into green spaces, ban neon signs and advertisements on bus terminals, and increase heritage protection.
The party again fielded Bédard as its mayoral candidate in the 1994 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Montreal municipal election took place on November 6, 1994. Pierre Bourque was elected to his first term as mayor, defeating incumbent Jean Doré...
, in which capacity he presided over total party electoral budget of only one thousand dollars. During this campaign, Bédard described the party's name as follows: "The white elephant is the only animal that doesn't fear its rivals because it is thought to be the wisest and most serene animal of all. It's a symbol of prosperity, security and confidence, all of which are very important qualities in a political party. And the color of the animal we have chosen as our symbol is white, because we are still pure. We are not corrupt like many other political parties out there." He again focused on food issues and promoted a by-law that would have required restaurants to give their surplus food to food bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
s.
Bédard changed the PÉBM's name to the Parti Montréal 2000 the 1998 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 1998
The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada held municipal elections on November 1, 1998, to elect a mayor and city councillors. Pierre Bourque was returned to a second term as mayor against a divided opposition....
but returned to the original name for 2001
Montreal municipal election, 2001
The 2001 Montreal municipal election took place on November 4, 2001, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Gérald Tremblay defeated incumbent Pierre Bourque to become mayor of the newly amalgamated city....
. In the latter campaign, he was forcibly ejected from at least two mayoral debates to which he had not been formally invited. He once again focused on food issues, and also pledged more support for community groups that assist prostitutes and drug addicts.
After using the PÉBM designation again in 2005
Montreal municipal election, 2005
The 2005 Montreal municipal election was held on November 6, 2005, to elect a city mayor, borough mayors, city councillors, and borough councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, Bédard changed the party's name to Parti Fierté Montréal
Parti Fierté Montréal
Parti Fierté Montréal is a small municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It fronted its own candidate, Michel Bédard for the mayorship of Montreal in the municipal elections in 2009.During his electoral campaign, Mr...
in 2009
Montreal municipal election, 2009
The city of Montreal, Quebec, held a municipal election at the same time as numerous other municipalities in Quebec, on November 1, 2009. Voters elected the Mayor of Montreal, Montreal City Council, and the mayors and councils of each of the city's boroughs....
.
No PÉBM candidate ever came close to winning election.