If you happened to be alive in the 90’s, owned a television and ABC’s analogue reception often did you a solid, it’s pretty likely that you witnessed this thing of beauty, and no doubt can recite its accompanying theme song without missing a beat:



What you’re seeing there is indeed ‘Captain Planet And The Planeteers‘, which has been delightfully unearthed for an exceptional local cause, according to the ABC: the naming of the five new electorates in the Australian Capital Territory.

Last year, a decision to enlarge the ACT’s elected Legislative Assembly members from 17 to 25 signalled a need to similarly expand the electorates in ACT to offset and evenly distribute candidates across the territory. While the ACT currently holds just three electorates, a decision to essentially remap the electoral lines in the ACT was agreed, dividing the territory into five, smaller electorates.

But introducing new electorates is hardly a simple task, when the current ones have been around in their present state since 1993. In October last year, submissions for naming suggestions of the five new electorates became open to ACT residents. Today, ABC reported that one of over 100 submissions put forward a suggestion to name the five new electorates after Captain Planet’s inner workings, his five Planeteers. And the reasoning behind the submission is remarkably difficult to fault:

“With no further ado: the five new ACT electorates should be named after the five Planeteers, Gi, Kwame, Linka, Ma-Ti, and Wheeler. While each Planeteer is an individual, it is the combination of the five Planeteers that creates something new, emergent, and greater than the sum of its parts: Captain Planet. Similarly, the five ACT electorates will each be unique and remarkable, but also components of a far greater, more powerful thing – the ACT itself. Captain Planet is known for his commitment to conservation, and he is thus a suitable emblem for the ACT – ‘the bush capital’ – which has natural wonders the envy of many other regions.”

*Gives standing ovation*

While its unlikely that the ACT will unanimously agree on naming its electorates based on a relatively obscure cult kid’s show which finished its run 23 years ago, it’s hard to argue that being elected as “Member of Kwame” doesn’t have a rather powerful ring to it. And aside from paying respect to a beloved show, the backstory of ‘Captain Planet’ was fittingly political: the show was created by a group of environmental activists that unashamedly steered the program as a political and educational tool for children in the 90’s.

As perfect as the new names would be for ACT’s lacklustre public image, it’s more than likely that the three current electorates will keep their names—Belconnen, Ginninderra and Molonglo—and it’s probable that the final two names will be selected by local Indigenous groups.

Which is fine. Because at least we’ll always have this.



Via ABC.