As the longest surviving Crikey contributor, Stephen, may I have a word in your shell-like? Don’t give up the day job.

People Power nominated 43 candidates for the election, 27 for the lower house and 16 for the Legislative Council. All were required to lodge deposits of $350, which would be returned if the candidate achieved 4% in the lower house or if the party ticket achieved 4% in the Legislative Council.

The best People Power vote was 3.45% in South West Coast, which means People Power has forfeited $15,050 to the Victorian Electoral Commission. By failing to achieve the per cent vote, People Power also are not eligible for public funding.

Indeed, the People Power were outpolled by the mouldering corpse of the Australian Democrats in the four of the five metropolitan regions. Only in the Western Metropolitan region, where People Power received the donkey vote, did People Power outpoll the Dems.

Think that’s an achievement? Wait. It may get better. In Western Metropolitan People Power’s preference may yet deliver the final seat to Labor – along with the prospect of control of the upper house.

But here’s an idea for you. I spent two hours manning a trading table at a polling booth for my local parish that raised $2,000 for its work in the inner-city. If you want something socially useful to do on election day, we’ll be having one at the federal poll, too.