If Quebec’s politicians all knew how to do Yogic Flying, crime would plummet and everyone would be happy.
That’s the message the Natural Law Party is taking to Ungava voters in the weeks before the provincial election on Sept. 12.
“Yogic Flying is actually a lot of fun,” said Marlene Charland, the party’s candidate in Ungava, which covers James Bay and Nunavik.
“A lot of people are practicing it—45,000 people.”
Why do they do it?
“For world peace,” said Charland.
Does it help, we asked.
“Oh yes,” she said enthusiastically.
Charland sent us a seven-page fax explaining her party’s platform in late August. She is actually the only Ungava candidate who’s sent The Nation any political literature so far during the election campaign.
Natural Law is one of several fringe parties in the election, with about as much chance of being elected as the Lemon Party of Quebec, the Marxist-Leninist Party or the Social-Democratic Party of the Golden Star.
Charland can’t quite fly herself yet, but she said she can hop very well. Asked whether some people find her party a little flakey, she said: “Yes, people laughed. But a lot of people were very interested. As you know, people are sick and tired of the ages-old politics.”
Charland doesn’t actually live in Ungava, but she lived for a few months in Ivujivik, Akulivik and Val d’Or.
She worked as a geologist for one of the companies doing work on Hydro-Quebec’s Great Whale impact review, but quit after finding that the company was biased in Hydro’s favour. She also said she opposes the Great Whale project.
Charland emphasized that her party is the only one that likes natives. As her press release says, “It is the first time in Quebec’s political history that native people have the possibility to vote for a government that truly respects them.”
