SYDNEY - As Australians head for the ballot box in the coming federal election, many may have been swayed by what they saw on the internet.
The internet is no longer the domain of Generation X and Y. With it quickly becoming a source of political information for people of all ages, politicians and lobby groups are scrambling to get their message online.
"I've never viewed it as the exclusive domain of young people. We shouldn't stereotype the people that will use these sites," Federal Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey said recently.
He's not alone in thinking this way.
Prime Minister John Howard has recently embraced video website YouTube, choosing the site to release several policy statements, ahead of traditional media.
"I recognise that this medium is not some sort of gimmick, but can provide an uninterrupted, open and direct channel between decision makers and voters," Mr Howard said.
At the other end of the political spectrum, Labor has launched Kevin07, with links to YouTube, MySpace and Facebook.
Labor's environment spokesman Peter Garrett believes the use of the internet by politicians is good for democracy.
"Whether we're communicating information and policies to people, or whether we're hearing back from people at the grassroots level about what their issues and concerns are, the web is going to play a really, really critical role," Mr Garrett said.
So with an explosion in the amount of information available to prospective voters, organisations such as Google and iPrime have stepped into the frame.
"It's true to say there is an awful amount of online activity, and this is a good thing," said Google Australia's head of corporate communications Rob Shilkin.
According to Mr Shilkin, 25 per cent of Australians currently source their media online.
And it isn't just the younger generation.
"What we have observed in the US is that politics on the internet is something that people of all ages are getting involved in. Obviously, the types of discussion and issues vary between younger and older voters, but everyone is embracing these tools," Mr Shilkin said.
Google's Election2007 (www.google.com.au/election2007) website collects information from various sources to provide maps of electorates, links to various political party websites, customised searches.
"We (gather together) existing information that is already out there to make it easier to access," Mr Shilkin said.
He says he hopes the internet community will use these tools, such as Google Maps, to develop a range of products for their own analysis.
"The map we have created is not something only Google engineers can create. Others can create layers of additional information such as broadband information, hospital waiting lists. We envisage developers creating these layers and getting some really interesting results," he said.
Another recently launched election website is FederalElection.com.au, developed by iPrime and Roy Morgan Research.
Chief executive officer of iPrime, Tony Surtees, says his website will focus more on local issues.
"(Google's) website is more about disseminating information from the parties, where as we think ours is more debate orientated, giving maximum visibility to local issues," Mr Surtees said.
"We will look at Australia as 150 separate electorates and talk to each local electorate on the basis of what is happening in that region."
He believes that through the use of the internet, all candidates will have the opportunity to present their policies at a local level.
"Through our website, we're trying to encourage the candidates from all parties to engage in a conversation at an electorate level with their consistency," he said.
Both Mr Surtees and Mr Shilkin agree that video has transformed politics on the internet.
"I think the language of the internet has shifted. What was very text-based is now video," Mr Surtees said.
The recent debates involving US Democratic presidential candidates broadcast on YouTube and CNN generated thousands of video questions to the candidates.
"Video is a powerful way of conveying information," Mr Shilkin said.
Labor is keen that one pre-election debate between Mr Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd involves online participation through a networking site such as YouTube.
Mr Shilkin hopes this is the case.
"As the election gets closer and the format of the debates starts to get clearer, I wouldn't rule anything out," he said.
Feeds