Prime Minister will use social media to connect with Canadians
I just found out from my friends in the Prime Minister’s office (and at Google) that the Prime Minister will be using YouTube to livestream his reaction to the Speech from the Throne and will use Google Moderator to take questions from Canadians regarding the Throne Speech and Budget.
Social media has been creeping into many different fields from its rapid uptake in entertainment to cautious integration in politics. Barack Obama used social media extensively during his campaign and has used it during his presidency. Some will remember that President Obama used Google Moderator to hold a first-of-its-kind townhall answering questions submitted via the service.
Canadians can watch the Throne Speech reaction live at Tuesday March 11, 2010 at 11 a.m. ET at http://www.youtube.com/TalkCanada and submit questions via the same address and see the townhall on the 16th at 7pm ET.
Here is the release from the PM’s office:
Canadians, especially younger Canadians, are no longer getting their news from just television, radio and print media. They are turning to new media in increasing numbers. This marks the first time that a Prime Minister’s speech will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Social media is changing the way Canadians interact with politicians. It allows Canadians to have unfiltered and immediate access to information. And it facilitates conversation between citizens and their elected representatives. Livestreaming complements our Government’s current use of social media, which includes Twitter, Facebook and pre-taped YouTube videos. In fact, Prime Minister Harper has an active following – 47,383 followers – on Twitter.
Here is the YouTube video explaining the event:
Stephen Taylor is a scientist, political analyst and a blogger. Taylor writes here regularly and is the founder of bloggingtories.ca. Taylor has contributed to Macleans, CTV, talk radio and has been a featured speaker on new media at numerous events including the Western Standard Cruise and the Forum for Public Policy. In December 2008, Taylor organized Rally for Canada, a series of rallies held coast-to-coast to protest the proposed coalition government.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Amen to that … bypassing the bias at CTV and CBC from the likes of Craig Oliver , Fyfe etc. is welcome news.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
What exactly do the opposition parties contribute to Canada.It seems that all they do when they are in session or question period is try to find scandals.Do they ever do Political work that is helpful to the Government of the day???Do they contribute for instance in anyway to formulating the budget or do they give you any positive ideas that would help Canada.Lastly, has there ever been discussion on terminating televising of question period??Most Canadians turn off the television when question period comes on.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Can we PULEEEZZE have another prorogation? The opposition is intolerable, embarrassing beyond description and I thank our lucky stars that we didn't have this display going on during the Olympics.
To the topic….
Indeed, the PM should use social messaging and NOT the pathetic national networks. His communication would be positive, informative, insightful and upbeat and then we would be forced to listen to the painful editorializing from the ranting, opinionated Harper haters.
The less I have to support either network and their advertisers, the better!
March 10th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Great news, another opportunity to showcase how the old media is not keeping up with needs and viewing habits.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
that was a rhetorical question right?
March 10th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
This may be a practice run, get the bugs out of the studio workings before the next election.
If the media go on another rampage and the Opps gang up against PMSH
like they did with the prorogy thingy,
PMSH will have to shoot above their heads.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
The President of the US gives a message every week, to the general public. Wouldn't it be great if our PM did the same thing via U-tube.
How is Kady going to blog this speech and twist it, when we will be able to see and hear for ourselves.
OT, but kudos to Layton for bringing Bill Graham and other libs into the detainee torture thingy
March 10th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Brilliant.
Set up a stage where they get to pick the questions, and they do not have any pesky reporters pointing out the holes in their answers.
Too bad he does not truly take questions from the public – perhaps in an open forum for example.
Anyway…
March 10th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Youtube/Google picks the questions
March 11th, 2010 at 2:26 am
Hah – Gayle, Stephen just blew a tank-sized hole in your little diatribe. Perhaps you should have some pesky facts on hand before making a fatuous comment. LMAO.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Given that our PM has young children and a pretty cool wife, it's natural that he'd be much more in tune with today's latest communication tools. Our media, unfortunately, is populated by egos who want to get their two cents in and if our PM can communicate directly and without the slimy media acting as a filter, all the more power to him. Our PM is revealing more and more of his intelligence and qualifications for the job of running the country and, sadly, Ignatieff is illustrating more and more how out of touch he really is. But then again, he's only a Canadian by convenience so how would he really know how we Canadians feel and what we really want. Kudos to our PM.
March 11th, 2010 at 7:04 am
They are picked according to votes, right? And everyone knows the CPC have the biggest army of people on the internet – people who freep polls, post on media stories on line and support their party on the blogs.
Something tells me it will not be too surprising to see Harper answering questions that are easy for him to answer.
Nor will he have any uncomfortable follow up questions from the media, poking holes in his answers.
This is a poor substitute for an open forum.
March 11th, 2010 at 7:24 am
Stephen put a small dent into half my argument – which I have addressed.
He ignored the part about facing follow up questions. You see, Harper does not like the media because, unlike his fawning devotees on these boards, they do not simply take his words at face value.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Here it is – in The Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/7783...
So, Gayle – how many questions did you submit? Or, are you content just to sit on the sidelines and make unfounded accusations which are not supported by facts…those pesky facts.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:48 am
Oh brother – more conservatives on the net. Gayle, you have really fallen off the edge. That had to be one of the most ridiculous comments I've ever seen. Still no facts, right Gayle? None of those pesky facts that so often get in your way.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Please, Gayle, you're embarrassing the entire Liberal party. You have no facts to back up your allegations – no pesky facts. PM Harper likes fair media but I have heard some of the dumb and leading questions asked during media scrums. Sorry Gayle, you are really out to lunch on this line of fatuous commenting. Just because Ignatieff didn't think of this route doesn't mean that PM Harper won't make it work. Sour grapes – very sour grapes on your plate, Gayle.
March 11th, 2010 at 9:08 am
BTW – for the PM or any Minister to hold a public forum (which I think is a good thing), a lot of planning and expense is involved – especially if it's the PM who is appearing. The security, alone, costs a fortune. Do you think that when Ignatieff or Layton appears to speak at some hall, they just show up on their own? There is a high dollar cost, Gayle. Going on YouTube is much less expensive and it reaches more people.
So, Gayle, how many questions did you submit? Five, ten, fifty, none?
March 11th, 2010 at 9:30 am
If we had an Opposition party which had the interests of Canadians at heart, as opposed to the interests of the puppet masters in the LPC, it would support hte government on policies which benefit Canadians and question those which do not benefit Canadians. The present opposition parties exist only to feather their own nests and don't give two hoots about Canadians. For example – we have an American who flew in to be annointed (undemocratically) leader of the LPC. We have Layton who votes against the budget before he even sees it (very responsible leader) and we have Duceppe who has nothing but disdain for Canada and Canadians. So, basically, we have a great PM who is hamstrung because too many Canadians are too blind to see the folly of casting their votes for the LPC or NDP.
March 11th, 2010 at 9:44 am
'They are picked according to votes, right? And everyone knows the CPC have the biggest army of people on the internet – people who freep polls, post on media stories on line and support their party on the blogs.'
So, you have proof of this, Gayle? Do you have facts? No? I didn't think so. Gayle, I have no problem with people expressing their opinions but please do present it as such. Now, are you saying the Liberals do not support their party on-line? We freep polls? Uh, how do we do that, Gayle.
Gayle, I'm not seeing any facts – pesky or otherwise – in your comment. What are the facts, Gayle? Did they get in your way? I'm waiting for your facts and proof, Gayle. Gee, I will be so disappointed if it turns out that you have no facts to back up your comment.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:19 am
I am sorry you are having such a difficult time grasping this.
Polls can be freeped. Have you never ever seen a BT blogger direct people to a CTV on line poll?
On line voting is notoriously unreliable and easily manipulated. If you do not understand that then I suggest you go back to school and stop wasting my time.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:20 am
If it is that hard to set up one of these forums for a Prime Minister, imagine how hard it is to do the same for the US President!
Anyway…
March 11th, 2010 at 11:21 am
You really do not understand the meaning of the word “facts”, do you.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Now that Harper's all Web 2.0 now, maybe he'll stop stone-walling on the Afghanistan detainees issue and, like, maybe do a blog onnit. Actually, maybe it should be a Wiki so that MacKay can change his answers easier.
(PS – was nice to hear you on CBC Radio today, Mr Taylor. You go, dude.)
March 12th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Actually, Gayle, it was YOU who wasted your time by replying. You had the choice of wasting your time or not and you chose to waste it. So, don't try to shift it to me. I still say you're wrong and you have presented no facts to back up your claim. So, no facts and no proof makes your claim to be baseless. Sorry – facts are necessary to back up your claim unless you state very clearly that it is your opinion – one for which you have to supporting facts. Oh, those pesky facts that get in the way. Tsk tsk.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:03 am
So, you did not submit any questions. That's what I figured – thanks for clarifying. As for the president of the USA – what, pray tell, was the point of that little statement?
So, no facts. Tsk tsk.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:04 am
Hmmm. A personal attack in lieu of facts. Interesting. But, not surprising. Tsk tsk.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:09 am
Youtube/Google picks the questions
If they used Google Moderator like you say they did, then that statement is misleading, or at best inaccurate.
From the link:
It would be more accurate to say that Google Moderator is a tool for marshalling and managing user input, with a popularity mechanism. (aka crowdsourcing)
Although the mechanism itself can be democratic, it's entirely dependent on who comes out, so if notice is brief, and the base is whipped up, then you can guess who most of the audience will be.
So this one was quite clearly a CPC-friendly event. Until these things become scheduled and routine and the general public actually sits up and take notice, it's just preaching to the choir. In any event, please don't confuse this with journalism.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:18 am
And everyone knows the CPC have the
biggest armybusiest group of bored, lonely and angry old white people trolling on the internet.ftfy
March 12th, 2010 at 6:54 am
Ha ha ha.
Way to deal with the issue head on.
Or not…
March 12th, 2010 at 6:59 am
A) Who cares if I submitted a question. What does that have to do with whether this is a manipulated exercise designed to appear as though Harper is answering the general public when in fact he is being protected from scrutiny.
Oh yeah, that's right – nothing at all. As usual you just throw in a red herring because dealing with the actual argument is too hard.
B) You are the guy who claimed it was too expensive for Harper to do an open forum because of security risks, yet Obama does them. That is because the real problem here is not the cost, but the risk posed to a man who is scared to do anything that does not follow a script. Harper will never ever ever take unscripted questions from the general public.
If Harper was so worried about the cost, maybe he should take a look at the PMO's budget instead.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:00 am
Thanks for proving my point.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Gee, Gayle, you're still wasting your time. Face it, you're addicted to me. Still no facts, though. But, please feel free to waste your time by replying to me.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:52 am
So, you just want to harp and harp. You submitted no questions but you mock the PM's effort and you claim (no proof) that the questions will be sanitized but you won't submit a question. And who cares what Obama does? He's the president of the LPC leader's country, not our PM. I don't give a hoot what Obama does – that is totally irrelevant. Your last line is a diversion, as usual.
Oh, and still not proof or facts. Gayle, why are you wasting your time on me? Show me some facts and proof and maybe, just maybe, your fatuous comments will have a shred of merit.
Remember, Gayle – fasts, oh those pesky facts.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Hahahahaha. Gayle – we all glommed on to your tricks years ago. You had no point to prove. Nice little diversionary tactic in lieu of facts, oh those pesky facts.
PS – how come you're still wasting your valuable time on me? Shouldn't you be saving some youth or something?
March 12th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Really? White people? Do you know this for a fact or are you just sockpuppeting again? Am I a white man? Do you know that for sure? Really stupid comment, Kenn2. Really, really stupid comment.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Really? White people? Do you know this for a fact?
Yes.
Oh please, prove me wrong.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Nice try. No, you made the statement so it is incumbent upon you to back it up. You're sounding more and more like Gayle every day. But, as Gayle has said many times – don't ask to prove a negative. So, Kenn2, given that you are far too cowardly to even attempt to back up your statement, I will assume that you just sockpuppeted your comment. No facts, no validity. Sorry, young dude, you lose.
I just love how Libs sockpuppet fiction. White people, indeed. Here, I'll get you started on that proff of yours – I'm not lily-white. Gotcha, you little sockpuppet.
Oh, and Kenn2 – are you non-white or are you just sockpuppeting for the sake of sockpuppeting?
March 12th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
One generally doesn't need to prove the obvious. (also, if you're interested, one sample does not disprove a trend)
But since you're in a “proving” mood, how 'bout… proving I'm a sock-puppet? (do you actually know what the term means?) I do have cute lil button eyes, but that's where it ends.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
You know, you're right. I am going to stop wasting my time on you right now. It is not like you ever post anything substantive or anything.
Maybe if I ignore you, you will be cured of your pathological obsession with me.
Do have a nice life.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:16 am
My goodness, you just wasted your time, again. Speaking of pathological obsessions – how's that pathalogical obsession with PM Harper going for you, Gayle?
March 13th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
I see the geeat experiement was another major Tory flop.
March 13th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Currently, the number one question is this:
“A majority of Canadians when polled say they believe marijuana should be legal for adults and taxes like alcohol. Why don't you end the war on drugs and focus on violent criminals.”
Most of the top questions come from the marihuana lobby. If that is how it ends up, I am prepared to concede Harper's minions did not freep the poll.
That said, this kind of question is easy for him to answer and still appeal to his base. He is not getting votes from the marihuana lobby anyway, so what does he care if he offends them.
March 14th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Ooooooo. Gayle is willing to concede. Oooooo. That means so much to us. Wow. Gayle may concede. Wow, I'm so impressed and gratified. Gayle – nobody gives a hoot what you will or will not concede. Talk about a comment rife with arrogance. But, hey, thanks for the laugh. Oooooo. Gayle may concede. Ooooooo. I have chills. Everybody – all together, now – ooooooooooo.
My apologies to the intelligent (i.e. Conservative ) posters for the little bit of juvenile immaturity but I just could not resist. When I read that line, I just cracked up. Like we care what Gayle will or will not concede. Typical Liberal arrogance. R.O.F.L.M.A.O.
March 16th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Well now that the voting has closed: the top four most popular questions are all about legalizing marijuana. Do you think Prime Minister Harper will answer them? Personally, I doubt it, or I foresee a one-sentence evasion along the lines of “That's not on our agenda right now.”
http://www.youtube.com/talkcanada
March 16th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Geeat – I don't even know if that word exists in urbandictionary.com. Love Terry's inability to spell – kind of indicates the type of person who votes Liberal or, should I use Terry's spelling…Liberla. LOL. What a 'maroon'.
March 17th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Just as a note: You should really do a recap of what was asked and the responses!
March 18th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Just as a note: You should really do a recap of what was asked and the responses!