PM's online foray gets mixed reviews

21 Jul 2012, 5:15 pm   -   Source: AAP
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PM Julia Gillard. (AAP)

PM Julia Gillard. (AAP)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's foray into social media has attracted mixed reviews with her hour-long online question and answer session attracting twice as many dislikes as likes.

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Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Saturday morning foray into social media has attracted mixed reviews with her hour-long online question and answer session attracting twice as many dislikes as likes.

The experiment prompted criticism from the outset with questions coming only from a panel.

One posted comment suggested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, now residing in the Ecuadorian embassy in London to evade extradition to Sweden, might have liked to quiz the PM.

An hour after it ended, the replay on YouTube had attracted 242 likes and 519 dislikes.

"I don't understand why she is doing this. No one likes her. How will she benefit from this?" commented one person.

In the online Google+ Hangout session organised by Deakin University and Fairfax media, who selected the questioners, Ms Gillard, appearing from her office by webcam, responded to questions on a variety of topics.

They included education and health policy, the carbon tax, suicide, jobs, defence force superannuation and asylum seekers.

Some would have had the boffins boxed.

"By how much, measured in thousandths of a degree celsius, will the earth's temperature be reduced through the carbon tax?" was one question.

Ms Gillard said the world on present projections was heading for rising temperatures and she wished she could do something to make a dramatic difference.

"It's not going to be like that. What the world is actually needing to do together is to moderate the rate of increase," she said.

Australia's contribution could best be measured by how many tonnes of carbon dioxide would not be released into the atmosphere and by 2020 that would be 160 million tonnes, she said.

Then there was the gay marriage question, asked by 25-year-old gay man Shane Bazzi. He asked Ms Gillard, an unmarried atheist, to explain her opposition to same-sex marriage.

"Almost equal is not good enough," he said.

Ms Gillard said heterosexual relationships were not valued more than same-sex relationships.

"My relationship should be valued and I'm not married," she said, adding that her opposition to gay marriage stemmed from her personal view of the cultural status of marriage.

On a lighter note, Ms Gillard mused on what made her happy.

"I'm happy when I feel like I am achieving things," she said.

"We can point to achievements in schools and health and jobs and many areas."

Ms Gillard said in her personal life it was about family and friends.

"Getting to spend some time with Tim, with mates and just doing all the things people usually do when they are trying to wind down a bit," she said.

Watch the one-hour long session from earlier today below.

PM Julia Gillard's message to the public.

Julia Gillard

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Your Comments

Were still going strong!

Paul - from Murrumbeena, 9 months ago

Despite all the doomsday sayers, Australia will still continue to grow at a faster rate and unemployment will remain lower than that of most other countries. How many of you realise that our position could quite easily have been much worse off if the policies of the Labor Government had been different? Give Julia a break we are not Broke, we all have opportunities! Just legalise Gay Marriage! Otherwise until Abbott can start acting like a PM i'd back Julia any day!

Melbourne

Simon - from Sydney, 10 months ago

It's incomprehensible to me that the only two parties in contention in Melbourne are the Greens and Labor. What planet have Melburnians been on for the past 5 years? Do they really want to pay higher prices for everything? Do they really want clowns like Craig Emersen in a position of authority? Are Melburnians happy that the Greens have given an open invitation to anyone who wants to come here and live off the backs of hard-working Aussies? The lunatics have taken over our asylum.

Why does she refuse to leave?

s3.14dr - from Northern Sydney, 10 months ago

For a minister that nobody likes, who has backed the Australian population into a corner, raised taxes at every step and (yes I'm one of the many that hasn't had any kick-backs but not a high income earner) continues to slump like a deflated sex-doll in the polls.....I have one comment, show the boat people how to do it and get on a leaky boat and leave the country, if we're lucky she'll drown halfway (sharks would leave her alone for professional courtesy). Julia, leave us alone!

Julia positive; Tony negative

Peter Evans - from Coorparoo, Brisbane, 10 months ago

It's great to see such a positive and eloquent overview of Australian issues by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. What a contrast with the walk-away cowardice of Tony Abbott, who is well known for walking away from any difficult questions at the very few press conferences he deigns to attend. Mind you, this is better than the way he repeatedly and unjustly trashes the Australian economy, thus increasing uncertainty and unemployment. What an anti-Australian!

mr

john - from bunbury w a, 10 months ago

carbon tax would be beneficial if it went for the reserch of riusable energy not to give mony to people to conpensate for exstra cost of enrgy this is a vote buying tax to use the ward carbon is hypocritical

Gay Marriage

David - from Ringwood, 10 months ago

Gay Marriage is an oxymoron by definition as Marriage is defined in the dictionary as a union between a man and a woman.

courage

Mark - from Moonta, 10 months ago

I am not a labor voter but i admire her courage to do this and wonder if Tony abbott would have the courage to do this.And to the lady who said no one likes her keep your personal opinions to your self and dont try to speak on behalf of other people as it was obvious you are a liberal voter.

retirement income and DFRDB

ellie - from brisbane, 10 months ago

The DFWA should stop focusing on cost and more on NEED. The real question is the total retirement income of military pensioners NOT just the DFRDB pension. Any additional indexation increase must be based on the same income and asset test as the age pension if Jamieson wants age penaion indexation. All DFRDB pensioners already receive more retirement income than age pensioners.

Communism by stealth and deception

Alf - from Minto, 10 months ago

Why are you and your party bringing Communism to Australia? And when was the decision to do so made, does it date back to when you were a member of the Communist Party of Australia?

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