 Wednesday 14 January 2004 QUEENSLAND
VOTERS' URGED TO REGISTER What do voters really think of Lawrence Springborg? Is he too young to be Premier? Has Peter Beattie done enough to be re-elected? What are the key issues for voters and what issues will they change their vote on? These are just some of the questions voters will be asked during this year's State election through a new online research project. For the first time, the perceptions and attitudes of Queensland voters' will be measured through an innovative project that will give the media and community access to the same research used by political parties on voters' moods. The Online Focus Project will use the Internet and technologies such as chat rooms, discussion forums and surveys to research voters' true feelings, anxieties and frustrations through discrete online focus groups during the State election. Voters wanting to participate in the project can register at: www.ozelections.com Political parties spend tens of thousands of dollars on traditional focus groups to understand, shape and influence voters' attitudes. The Online Focus Project will make it possible for the first time to track voting intentions, motivations and provide insights into voter behaviour, which have previously only been readily available to political leaders and campaign strategists. Similar
projects were undertaken during the 2001 Federal election and
last year's NSW State election. The projects revealed a range
of issues that mainstream polling missed or were not reported. Media enquiries: Tim Grau 0438 044 598 or Graham Young 0411 104 801 About OnLine Focus: The Online Focus project is being undertaken by On Line Opinion in partnership with public affairs firm Springboard Australia. On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit electronic journal owned by a number of institutions, including some Australian universities, that aims to provide a forum for public social and political debate about current Australian issues. It also aims to promote world's best practice in Australian use of the Internet to expand the boundaries and possibilities of our democratic system. Springboard Australia is a political consulting, communications and issues management company. |