I'll never forget what's his name ...

.. but I can't remember voting for him.

I will begin with a digressive trip down memory lane.

Those of mature years may remember a great film from 1967 of the same title as this post.  I have two particular memories related to the film:

1. In the opening scenes of the film itself the main man - played by Oliver Reed - marches through the streets of London with a large axe over his shoulder.  He then uses said axe to smash his desk, in an advertising company, to smithereens!  Much better than a simple note.
2. The culmination of the film is the last ad he directs.  It is about a photographic film product (which comes in yellow and black packets) and concludes with people using this product to snap a nuclear holocaust.  Very powerful stuff.  The character is very annoyed when his film castigating advertising is awarded a "best ad of 19XX " gong! However when it appeared on Australian TV the advert was not shown: possibly the TV station involved didn't want to upset a company that makes film which it sells in yellow and black packets, but it did rather change the ending!

Back to business- or at least politics.  We were recently subjected to a State Election and I have previously reported how the National Party candidate was elected (much to my disgust).  However he was fairly elected as shown by this cut from the SEC website.

Click on the image to see the name circled in red.

I recently had cause to look up the member's email address.  The easiest way to do this is to find his page in the NSW Parliament website.  Here we go:

Click on this image to see the same name - also circled in red - and another, far less WASPie, circled in purple (as in prose).  Given that many elections have been overturned for totally trivial reasons I am intrigued that the person appears to have been elected under an informal name.  Inquiries will be made: as a first step I sent the following to the State Electoral Commission.

Dear folks

 In the last State election some of the voters of the Monaro elected one John Barilaro to represent them (and me). A person of this name was announced by yourselves, in the virtual tally room, as winning the election. However when I look at the NSW Parliament website I find the member for Monaro is referred to as (John) Giovanni Domenici Barilaro. How is it possible for a person to be elected under one name but to sit under another?

To quote an unsuccessful candidate for the Upper House, please explain.

Best regards

Martin Butterfield.

I have now received a response from the State Electoral Commission:

"A candidate’s name appears on the New South Wales Electoral Commission (NSWEC) virtual tally room as listed on the ballot paper. Therefore Mr Barilaro appears as John Barilaro as that is the name he chose to appear on the ballot paper for the election.

"A Member of Parliament’s name on the NSW Parliament website lists the full names of elected Members."

To quote Arte Johnson (from the closing credits of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In) "Veeeerryyy Interestink.  But stupid".  Here is my response.

"Does that mean that if I chose to run for Parliament I could do so (as far as the ballot paper is concerned) under the name Ernesto Guevara?  Gautama Buddha? Rob de Castella?  Jane Fonda?

"It seems very strange that if I want to open a bank account or pick up a parcel from the Post Office I have to show proof that I am who I purport to be but if I am going for a position to formulate legislation I can delude the voters."

 This generated a very smart response:

No the name on the ballot paper has to appear as your surname and a given name or a derivative of your given names.

So I could be Martina (if I wished to appeal to tennis fans!  It is interesting that an "Honest John" is really a "Schietto Giovanni " and one may form an opinion as to the correctness of either approbation!