Labor coup shows politicians finally get SMS

Angus Kidman
Monday, 04 December 2006 06:12

Your IT - Mobility

Monday's victory by Kevin Rudd in a challenge for the leadership of the Australian Labor Party had at least one unexpected positive outcome: it demonstrates that politicians have finally learned how to use text messages.

Even before Rudd's 49-39 victory over incumbent Kim Beazley had officially been announced, rumours of the result were sweeping the parliamentary press corps courtesy of a text message said to have been sent from inside the ballot room.

While politicians have increasingly been called upon to regulate mobile communications and the Internet, the suspicion has sometimes emerged that they lack the familiarity with it that many of their constituents take for granted.

According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, there are more than 19.7 million mobile phones in Australia -- at least one of which appears to have been working effectively in Canberra during the ballot.

Though whispers continue that some politicians still demand all emails are printed so they can read them, Australia has yet to produce an equivalent of American Senator Ted Stevens, who become the subject of online ridicule after comparing the Internet to a "series of tubes" and complaining about how long it took his staff to send him "an Internet".