The Facebook election debate: right sentiment, wrong platform
Facebook may be closing the gap on TV and radio when it comes to reaching voters, but it’s no way to win a Federal election, says John Chalmers.
In another ploy to persuade voters of his modern approach to politics, Malcolm Turnbull is pushing to move the third election debate away from television screens and onto smartphones and social media.
“This is the time for innovation,” he says, following quickly with wisdom that the Facebook debate “will engage a vastly wider audience than formats used before”.
Not bad logic, given the first debate that slogged out on Sky News averaged only 54,000 viewers. While the second face-off covered by the ABC scored slightly improved ratings, it was perceived to be flooded with party rhetoric and little substance.
If by ‘vastly wider’ Turnbull means the 10 million-odd Australians with active Facebook accounts, he might just have a point. That is, of course, if it wasn’t for the fact that less than 300,000 of them follow his updates. 
FB will be able to tell us how many people engage with Mr Turnbull. That will be interesting.
Facebook is a fantastic medium to hold a debate. The reach is potentially bigger than all the TV networks put together and certainly far greater than Sky News. It’s 2016 and a social network for a political debate, can be regarded to a town hall, with the ability to fit in 10 football stadiums of people and more.
The real thorn in my side is that I was excited about Turnbull. He is pro republic, pro environment and pro ‘innovation’. However he is being anchored by the right in the party and therefore he isn’t going to get my vote. Policies secure my vote and thus far under Turnbull the policies are still Abbott’s = 1950’s Luddite conservative.