Social media giant Twitter has dispatched a key lieutenant to Australia before the federal election, as debate from local users reaches equivalent levels to last year's US presidential race.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Twitter government, news and innovation guru Adam Sharp has been working with MPs and major parties in Canberra to develop their presence on the network.
Mr Sharp said Twitter had served as a central platform for reaction during the Labor leadership crisis.
''It was incredible to watch because in that one day there were about half a million tweets, about the spill and about Australian politics in general. When you adjust for population [in comparison with the US] it would be equivalent to a higher volume of conversation than we saw around any critical event in the last year.''
When compared with American politics, Mr Sharp said the equivalent traffic volume was only exceeded by presidential debates and election day.
He praised Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for their effective use of social media and said it could guide other political leaders worldwide in digital engagement.
Analysis by Twitter shows that since the election date was announced, almost 2.5 million tweets have used hashtags including #Auspol, #AusVotes and #Election2013.
The most shared tweet of the campaign came from Mr Rudd, promising same-sex marriage legislation and a conscience vote for Labor MPs within 100 days of his re-election.
Sent after the August 11 leaders' debate, Mr Rudd's tweet was shared nearly 2000 times and favourited by more than 900 users.
Described by The New York Times as ''the human embodiment of Twitter'', Mr Sharp said he visited Parliament House several times since 2010 and expected the platform to continue to grow in Canberra.
Australian membership is estimated at more than 2 million users.
''You have certainly seen tremendous leadership from the top of both parties,'' Mr Sharp said.
''Both are unique in terms of the accessibility the leadership have given to constituents using Twitter.
''I think the Greens may be the only party where every member is active on Twitter.''
Mr Sharp said he expected the Twitter conversation in Australia to become ''more vibrant and more balanced'' before next Saturday poll.
''Coming right out of the announcement of the election date, the bulk of the conversation was about Kevin Rudd and the Labor party,'' he said.
''Then out of the first debate, the conversation swung just as far to Tony Abbott.''
He said it was now sitting about 50-50.
