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Step aside political polls, Facebook knows exactly what we thought about this year’s Federal Budget

IT seems we’re not all as disinterested in politics as we claim to be. Facebook’s been taking a peek at our pages during Budget week — and it turns out policy is very much on our minds.

Facebook’s been number-crunching its data about our Federal Budget behaviour. Picture: AFP
Facebook’s been number-crunching its data about our Federal Budget behaviour. Picture: AFP

IT seems we are not all as disinterested in politics as we claim to be. Facebook’s been taking a peek at our pages over the Budget — and it turns out policy is on our minds.

Facebook tracked the changing nature of Australia’s political discussion in the weeks leading up to — and including — Treasurer Scott Morrison’s first Federal Budget.

According to a statement given to News Corp, Facebook says it detected three distinct shifts in the conversation:

Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook

WHO CARED THE MOST: First the debate was liveliest in the northern NSW rural electorates including Page, Richmond and Lyne. Also high on Facebook’s radar was Queensland’s Dawson electorate. MPs Kevin Hogan, Justine Elliot, David Gillespie and George Christensen should sit up, log in — and take notice. After the budget, the debate went metropolitan.

Unsurprisingly, pre-Budget chats among bureaucrats in Canberra and the ACT topped the scale. One hope’s they’ve all been careful about what they’ve been saying: They could be sacked if their ministers doesn’t like what they see.

Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook

WHAT WE CARED ABOUT: Facebook’s also been interested in exactly what we’ve been discussing. Turns out we were most interested in the hip pocket. Before the election it was negative gearing and climate change that was generating the most activity. After the Budget, negative gearing fell to sixth place and climate change to ninth. Post Budget we were all talking about policy announcements affecting tax cuts, small business, levels of income and its effects on young people.

Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook

GENERATION ME: Before the Budget, Facebook says it detected most debate among men aged 45-55 and women 55 to 64. But the release of the policies changed all that, with men and women between 25 and 34 being the most inspired to voice their opinions.


WHO WON FACEBOOK: With politicians well entrenched in their party’s dogma, what may stir their attention is exactly which of them we winning our attention.

Facebook says in the weeks leading up to the Budget it observed us spending most of our time on posts from the big two leaders — Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten. Rounding out the top five were cohort of Greens — Adam Bandt, Scott Ludlam and Sarah Hanson-Young.

Again, the devil in the Budget detail turned this all upside down.

During Budget week, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam surged to the top of the Facebook “engagement” stakes. Turnbull and Shorten tumbled to fifth and fourth place respectively.

Originally published as Step aside political polls, Facebook knows exactly what we thought about this year’s Federal Budget

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Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/national/federal-election/budget2016/step-aside-political-polls-facebook-knows-exactly-what-we-thought-about-this-years-federal-budget/news-story/75ee0fa765fd4cdd2f308dff3f02bcbf