On Friday evening, at a time when their constituents across Australia will be logging off at the end of the working week, Malcolm Turnbull will be merging like a zip onto the information superhighway to go like-for-like against Bill Shorten in the third leaders’ debate, hosted by Facebook and news.com.au.
God I hope Turnbull and Shorten's Facebook debate crashes or has issues due to poor internet.
— Luke (@lucrious) June 7, 2016
if more than three ppl tune in to turnbull's facebook debate buffering will be a problem #auspol
— william p tinkle (@willytinkle) June 7, 2016
It will be broadcast live at 6pm on Friday and the debate will consist of 10 topics chosen using data from news.com.au’s State of the Nation survey and the most talked-about subjects on Facebook, as informed by comments on its page.
On Tuesday, news.com.au appealed for its followers to “have [their] say!” as to the questions moderator Joe Hildebrand should put to Shorten and Turnbull. When the deadline for suggestions arrived at noon on Friday, six hours before kick-off, it had received close to 3,000 comments and 650 shares.
The post also received 1,000 likes, including a smattering of “love” and “wow” reactions – a taste of what is to come, with viewers’ thoughts to be broadcast live during the debate.
Tune into the Leaders' debate on Facebook live to add your 😡 to Malcolm 🎩 #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/4GkTbHpt2a
— Young Labor (@YoungLaborOz) May 29, 2016
Most suggested questions that received the backing of other users – and are most likely to be selected by news.com.au – were informed, probing and important. Of particular interest seemed to be economic management, climate change, mental health, school funding, domestic violence, small business, perks and pay for politicians, housing affordability and the national broadband network.
Then there are the others. Here are a few of the questions – or, in many cases, lengthy statements – that will probably not be put to Shorten and Turnbull, even in this most democratic (and, Hildebrand promises, “entertaining”) of debates. Some have been abbreviated for length and relevance.
- For Turnbull: Have you got a special farewell for Barnaby planned?
- My daughter is 6. When she is 16, what sort of Australia will she live in? Will she need to be a super-nerd, educated to the hilt to get by?
- Are you NUTS? [recipient not specified]
- If not loyalty, what do you hope for most in a prime minister’s character?
- Who can do the best dab? Come on guys, give it a go!
- Is it to late to change Malcolm Turnbull as leader for Cory Bernardi? Cory is a straight talker, whereas with Malcolm you are never sure what he will do or say next.
- To both of you – how many properties do you, wife or children have negatively geared?
- What is your favourite animal and why?
- When are you going to take action on this “halal certification” racket? There’s been an enquiry so what’s the hold up?
- Why do you lie so much you dogs? [in full]
- Why do you both hate Australians?
- Hospitals...?? Hospitals...???Hospitals...???
- What are you going to do to stop Islam and sharia law taking over australia?
- I would ask them to do a twirl for all the people at home and ask them where they got their lovely outfits
- How will you feel when Pauline [Hanson] gets in and sorts you clowns out?
- When are we going to exit the UN?
- Where were you born are you a pommy like gillard and abbott?
- Who is gonna watch this?
