Australians think of ourselves as laid-back larrikins, but the major parties have made it nigh impossible for an Australian equivalent to Count Binface to emerge. That’s despite a long history in Australia of joke parties, like the Sun Ripened Warm Tomatoes Party, the Surprise Party and the Deadly Serious Party.
…except that doesn’t happen in AU/UK.
extremists are becoming bolder the past few years
and there is foreign interference in democratic processes from adversaries
democracy is an agreement and to protect democracy there must be limits or loop holes will be exploited
Extremists are forming full fledged parties, not standing one by one where they are easily beaten.
If you register a party and get people to vote for you, you’re a part of the democratic process. There are several parties who have what I think of as extreme views.
In the 2022 Victorian election (first one post-lockdown) there was a party called something like “Get rid of Dictator Dan”. Dan Andrews was the premier at the time, his support of the health department’s recommendations on Covid-19 made some people obsessed with him.