'Budgies' tweet too shrill for Libs

The opposition has complained about the ABC's use of the tag, "Budgies", when
referencing Tony Abbott in a Twitter stream during his budget reply speech.
Liberal senator Mathias Cormann on Monday questioned whether it was appropriate for
the national broadcaster to refer to the opposition leader in terms of the swimwear
for which he has become famous.
Mr Abbott has scored many a headline for being photographed in his budgie smugglers
and has even helped raise money for worthwhile causes after recently donating a
signed pair to a charity auction.
But Senator Cormann said there were serious concerns over the ABC's use of the tag -
Budgies - during its Twitter coverage of Mr Abbott's budget reply speech to
parliament.
"Are you suggesting that it is appropriate for the ABC to refer to statements by the
leader of the opposition as Budgies?" he asked, while grilling ABC managing
director Mark Scott during a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday.
"I would have thought there is a serious question mark there."
Mr Scott said the use of the tags were simply a way of identifying tweets that were
linked to a certain topic.
"Sometimes on Twitter a debate emerges as to what the tag is going to be to allow
you to see all the messages," Mr Scott said.
"A group of people on Twitter came up with the tag (Budgies) as the identifier for
the leader of the opposition."
Mr Scott said he did not believe the tag for Mr Abbott's budget reply originated at
the ABC.
"Somebody, and I imagine not at the ABC, but some other journalists, I suspect, came
up with that identifying tag for the leader of the opposition's reply.
"I appreciate that there may be questions as to whether that was an appropriate tag
for ABC News to use, and we will look at it in that context."
But he also defended the use of Budgies, saying it was important for the ABC to
remain relevant.
"The argument would have been made for people who were using that tag to search our
for commentary around the budget, that unless we used that tag we wouldn't be found
in that search engine."
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy quipped that there were other tags that could
have been used.
"Well, it could have been Lycra. I mean, that would have been appropriate," Senator
Conroy said.



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