Lily Fontana is currently getting a crash course in public relations and social media. She is the freelance make-up artist whose status update on Facebook has provided the most succinct commentary on last night’s Bronco Leagues Club People’s Forum debate between K Rudd and T Abbott.

Here it is in its brief 78 words:

Just finished doing Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott’s makeup for the People’s Forum at the Broncos Leagues Club.
One of them was absolutely lovely, engaged in genuine conversation with me, acknowledge that I had a job to do and was very appreciative. The other did the exact opposite! Oh boy, I have ever had anyone treat me so badly whilst trying to do my job. Political opinions aside…from one human being to another…Mr Abbott, you win hands down.

And here is the screen shot:

I don’t think Ms Fontana will be getting too many more gigs at the Leagues Club, but with formals coming up there should be a slew of Liberal voting matrons keen to get her to do their daughters’ make up.

Not that I’m suggesting Ms Fontana did this to boost her business, it’s just one of the serendipitous side-benefits that sometimes accrue from social media. This ought to be going viral.

There may, of course, be more to this. Lily Fontana, apart from having done Mr Rudd’s makeup, appears to also live in his electorate (Facebook thinks she’s near Cannon Hill, and I think she lives in Camp Hill). I’m sure there are Labor apparatchiks at this very moment trying to find a receipt for the Young Liberal function she went to age 17 (#just saying ;-)).

So who won last night’s debate?

I’m told that it was Kevin Rudd, but as I didn’t see it, I don’t really know. What I do know is that the two bits of information that will stick longest in my mind about it are Lily’s comment, and Tony’s quip “Does this guy ever shut up”.

One was an innocent remark, the other deliberately designed to poke the twitter tiger and starve the other guy of oxygen.

They both underline that this election isn’t about who can win debates, but about character. As Abbott said in his opening remarks, probably channelling our What the people want research, or at least borrowing the title of our latest report: “It’s not the budget deficit…it’s the trust deficit”.

If you want someone to get the budget back into surplus, is it likely to be the guy who’s got the short sharp jab, or the one who can’t even ration his own verbosity? And who’s likely to have your interests at heart? The smartest guy in the room, who’s full of himself (and it), or the one who asks you how you are, and means it?