There were 1625 candidates in this year’s Federal Election, held on July 2. Here are one hundred names from the election ballots that I found especially pleasant, interesting, or amusing. The Green Party (social justice environmentalists) and Rise Up Australia (far-right fringe) seemed to be over-represented among the interesting names

1. Kristin Bacon (Animal Justice Party) – can an animal really trust someone whose name sounds suspiciously like crisping bacon?
2. Alice Barnes (Green Party)
3. Sandy Caddy (Rise Up Australia)
4. Shea Caplice (Arts Party)
5. Marylou Carter (Family First Party)
6. Aoife Champion-Fashoyin (Labor Party)
7. Lalitha Chelliah (Socialist Alliance)
8. Bridget Clinch (Veterans Party)
9. Rosalie Crestani (Rise Up Australia)
10. Ioanna Culleton (One Nation)
11. Sylvie Ellsmore (Green Party)
12. Kamala Emanuel (Socialist Alliance)
13. Amanda Excell (Christian Democratic Party)
14. Ula Falanga (Christian Democratic Party)
15. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Liberal Party) – elected to the Senate in NSW
16. Emma Flowerdew (Liberal Party)
17. Yvonne Gentle (Rise Up Australia)
18. Viv Glance (Green Party)
19. Rose Godde (Arts Party)
20. Zarina Greenberg (Animal Justice Party)
21. Jananie Janarthana (Green Party)
22. Pierrette Kelly (Liberal Party)
23. Kirsten Lovejoy (Green Party)
24. Emma McBride (Labor Party) – my huband’s choice of “most electable name”; elected as MP for Dobell, NSW
25. Malarndirri McCarthy (Labor Party) – elected to the Senate in NT
26. Tasma Minifie (Green Party)
27. Neroli Mooney (Rise Up Australia)
28. Silvana Nero-Nile (Christian Democratic Party)
29. Jane Oakley (Green Party)
30. Freya Ostapovich (Liberal National Party)
31. Patchouli Paterson (Green Party)
32. Elena Quirk (Green Party)
33. Rose Read (Green Party)
34. Bibe Roadley (Liberal National Party)
35. Jenalie Salt (Christian Democratic Party)
36. Taffy Samuriwo-Vuntarde (Rise Up Australia)
37. Myfanwy Schenk (Family First Party)
38. Shelley Shay (Australian Recreational Fishers Party)
39. Delanie Skye (Green Party)
40. Marnie Southward (Marriage Equality Party)
41. Sally Spain (Green Party)
42. Santa Spruce-Peet-Boyd (Independent)
43. Fern Summer (Independent)
44. Camille Sydow (Animal Justice Party)
45. Catriona Cecilia Thoolen (Palmer United Party)
46. Cordelia Troy (Independent)
47. Tula Tzoras (Online Direct Democracy – Empowering the People!)
48. Suzan Virago (Green Party)
49. Dawn Walker (Green Party)
50. Gabriela Zabala (Socialist Equality Party)

1. Zane Alcorn (Socialist Alliance)
2. Fraser Anning (One Nation)
3. John Peter August (Pirate Party)
4. Marc Aussie-Stone (Independent)
5. Avtar Singh Billu (Independent)
6. Sundance Bilson-Thompson (Cyclists Party) – in everyday life, a distinguished physicist
7. Ash Blackwell (Drug Law Reform)
8. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans (Green Party)
9. Marty Corboy (National Party)
10. Berge Anthony Der Sarkissian (Online Direct Democracy – Empowering the People!)
11. Damian Drum (National Party) – elected as MP for Murray, Vic
12. Wes Fang (National Party)
13. Mike Freelander (Labor Party) – elected as MP for Macarthur, NSW
14. Ned Kelly Gebadi (Family First Party)
15. Jimmy Gimini (Rise Up Australia)
16. Mercurius Goldstein (Green Party)
17. Ian Goodenough (Liberal Party) – elected as MP for Moore, WA (so he was good enough)
18. Ray Goodlass (Green Party)
19. Gary Gray (Labor Party) – his first and last names are anagrams of each other
20. Oscar Grenfell (Socialist Equality Party)
21. Stirling Griff (Nick Xenophon Party) – elected to the Senate in SA
22. Florian Heise (Family First)
23. Thor Kerr (Green Party)
24. Phil Larkin (Country Party) – not the poet
25. Glenn Lazarus (Glenn Lazarus Team)
26. David Littleproud (National Party) – elected as MP for Maranoa, Qld
27. Richard Love (Katter’s Australian Party)
28. Milan Maksimovic (Christian Democratic Party)
29. Hovig Melkonian (Labor Party)
30. Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow (Science Party) – Political Name of the Year, hands down
31. Methuen Morgan (Countryminded)
32. Kado Muir (National Party)
33. Sang Ok (Liberal Party)
34. Bruce Poon (Animal Justice Party)
35. Thor Prohaska (Independent)
36. Isaac Pursehouse (Pirate Party) – actually sounds like an 18th century pirate
37. Rowan Ramsey (Liberal Party) – elected as MP for Grey, SA
38. Ash Rose (Australian Progressives)
39. Warnar Spyker (Australian Christians)
40. Nick Steel (Rise Up Australia)
41. Sonny Susilo (Christian Democratic Party)
42. Ludy Charles Sweeris-Sigrist (Christian Democratic Party)
43. Beresford Thomas (Christian Democratic Party)
44. Francesco Timpano (Independent)
45. Rasmus Torkel (Independent)
46. Tran Tran (Rise Up Australia)
47. Phil Twiss (Australian Christians)
48. Quentin Van Stieglitz (Palmer United Party)
49. Zhenya Dio Wang (Palmer United Party)
50. Nick Xenophon (Nick Xenophon Party) – elected to the Senate in SA

POLL RESULTS
Most people would prefer to vote for a name that was solid and corporate rather than one which was ordinary and everyman, with more than two thirds choosing this option.
Most people would prefer to vote for a name that was down to earth and unpretentious rather than one which was flamboyant and aristocratic, with more than two thirds choosing this option.
More than half liked the idea of a candidate with a friendly, cheerful name, but many preferred one who sounded serious and no-nonsense, so this ballot was fairly even.
A clear majority (86%) were in favour of a name which sounded pretty and poetic rather than one which sounded tough and cool.
70% preferred a very short name to a very long name.
And finally, most people would prefer to vote for a name that was highly patriotic rather than one which was interesting and eccentric, with more than two thirds choosing this option.

(Photo shows Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow from the Science Party)