Awful Australian election made more awful by awful Facebook Live videos

The 2016 Australian election campaign has so far been the political equivalent of chipping off old nail polish. It seems only right it be accompanied by the most banal of content: The badly-shot Facebook Live video.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, leader of the Liberal Party, has been facing off against Bill Shorten, leader of the Labor Party. Their parties may disagree on some points, but they definitely come together on garbage video quality.

If you enjoy your eyeballs being tossed like salad, try this video from the Australian Labor Party.

The clips are meant to give you that "behind the scenes" feel, but damn, give your interns a tripod. The angle here also makes Shorten look like the world's smallest man gripping an immense dinner tray of a lectern.

If you don't mind being deafened by the sounds of heavy machinery, try this video from member for Longman, Wyatt Roy. Roy can be heard stumping for Liberal Party policy, but sound quality goes from bad to worse when Treasurer Scott Morrison chimes in just as an earth mover trundles slowly by.

Reminder: No one ever looks more uncomfortable than a politician in fluro and a hardhat.

Then there's this gem from Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's Facebook page, where someone has their finger on the lens for a solid nine seconds. Good stuff.

Here is member for Menzies, Kevin Andrews, addressing the crowd at the Templestowe War Memorial in a video shot completely sideways. A serious occasion, a very unserious camera angle.

It's great when a boom mic drops out of the sky right in front your Prime Minister's head.

Senator Sam Dastyari is a little confused about when the video starts. "Tell us when you're ready to go," he says, about 10 seconds after the camera started rolling. 

"Did that work?" he asks. Yep, Sam, it did. At least they're about to have a good time at the exciting looking joint, Flanagans!

There are exceptions to this parade of awfulness: The Facebook Live election debate, hosted by News.com.au, was tight and well-shot. Funnily enough, the best Facebook Live videos have looked good because, well, they were shot in professional television conditions.

It's unfair really, giving campaign aides false hope their handheld iPhone 5 will cut it. 

Live video definitely has its value and people surely appreciate the intimacy, but hopefully the future of Australia isn't just a stubby finger jabbing the camera lens until the end of time.

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