CANBERRA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is struggling for relevance in the digital age, according to the nation's former ambassador to Israel.
Dave Sharma, who is now a candidate for the governing Liberal Party in the upcoming general election, wrote in a paper published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank focused on foreign affairs and defense, on Thursday that DFAT is not using online diplomacy to its full potential, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
He wrote that despite the department running 249 active social media accounts, its content was "stiff and aloof."
"Good digital content is pithy, impactful and tailored, but too little of DFAT's digital content meets that test," Sharma wrote.
"This is where DFAT is struggling.
"It has gone digital, but it isn't yet doing digital diplomacy.
Sharma is the Liberal Party's candidate in Wentworth - an inner-Sydney seat.
