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Political junkies are often apprehensive about stand-up comedy. After all, why pay a comedian to talk about past relationships, deride taxi drivers and be generally inappropriate when Mark Latham will do it for free?

Political Asylum is a group of comedians that formed around the simple idea that good comedy can be good commentary. That there are people who read the political pages, watch the obscure ABC programs, receive the quality online newsletters and desperately need to laugh about it all. People who know that when the lady of the socialist left and the hardman of the religious right mix in the centre, democracy has curdled. People who realise that when Ben Chifley spoke of “the light on the hill”, he probably didn’t mean lighting up outside the Rooty Hill RSL.

These aren’t your usual Speedos and ranga gags, this is intelligent satire delivered by Australia’s best political comedians on economics, immigration, refugees, religion, climate change and all the other important debates that our leaders have condensed into helpful soundbites that play well in marginal seats.

Although the comedians are from all over Australia, until now Political Asylum has only been packing rooms in Melbourne, including sold out shows at Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and an election season spectacular at Melbourne Trades Hall. This means all their lines have been pre-focus grouped and are ready for this week’s election-eve tour of Canberra!

So if you live in the nation’s capital, follow politics and are starting to realise that this article is advertisement disguised as editorial, go along and experience Political Asylum’s Canberra Election Extravaganza!

The details: The Political Asylum Canberra Election Extravaganza runs from August 17-20 at the C Block Theatre, Gorman House Arts Centre in Braddon.