Thanks to the power of social networking tools, worldwide attention was focused this week on the Alberta legislature's fierce debate over Bill 44. Hashtags, online video and instant messaging extended the debate beyond the usual tight political circles.

The controversial law enshrines in Human Rights legislation a parent's right to withdraw their child from certain teachings in the public school system.

It was passed at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday after days of uncharacteristically fierce debate in the Legislature.

Though many MLAs may not have realized it, a new audience of political watchers was observing them as they traded barbs into the early hours.

The debate was carried live on the Internet and every point and counterpoint was being carefully watched and analyzed by an online group of interested Albertans.

Officials with the Alberta Legislature can't confirm the exact number of users using their online video feed but say it has been operating at "peak levels" over the last two weeks, directly corresponding with the growing public interest in the Bill 44 debate.

The proposed legislation has also been featured prominently on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter provides a forum for its users to post comments on anything that may cross their minds. If enough people are talking about the same thing, they can create a special filter called a "hashtag" so that everyone interested in the same topic can follow the conversation.

Searching the hashtag #bill44 yields a record of more than 1,000 messages commenting on the new law including hundreds submitted on the night of the debate.

There is a little bit of everything on the list, ranging from a play-by-play of the bill's final reading, to controversial, humorous, and occasionally offensive commentary.

"#Bill44 reveals that the emperor really wears no clothes. Reduced to angry yelling and bullying in an otherwise civil debate," writes Calgary-based Twitter user andrewmcintyre.

mikebeard, a self-proclaimed computer geek, wrote "FU Alberta!! That's it! I'm moving to Vancouver or TO. ! I'm finished living in the Texas of Canada."

ABConservative offered support for the cause: "Bill 44 is a good piece of legislation. I would have rather seen a different non-HRC route to these protections but I'm still happy."

When Edmonton-Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk took a dig at some of the more tech-savvy MLAs across the floor, those watching the debate online immediately pushed back.

"This entire debate right now is being narrated by various members in this Chamber on Facebook, on their computers," said Lukaszuk. "Showing how this debate is really not about the subject matter but how it is about showing what big heroes we are to our supporters."

"Social Media brings the constituents to the #ableg. It's important to get them involved. Shouldn't we discourage apathy?" retorted user britl, a "radio-kid" based in Edmonton.

User burninggoats offered the cheeky reply: "you don't have a computer specifically for facebook?" referring to Lukaszuk's poor command of tech terminology.

The debate hit the global stage when #bill44 received so much online activity Monday night that it briefly moved onto the home page of Twitter's top trending topics, competing with such weighty issues as "#clothdiapers" and "#goodsex".

At that point, people from around the world took notice and started weighing in.

"Help, I need a Canadian," wrote a user called crataegus. "Someone please explain to this addlebrained Amrikan why #Bill44 is stupid. It looks redundant from what I can see."

"Being Australian what is bill44?" wrote MotorbikesLady, who says her real name is Susan.

"note: #bill44 trending on twitter. The eyes of the world are upon #ableg. GOVERN YOURSELVES ACCORDINGLY," warned Edmonton user Adam Rozenhart, who goes by the username bingofuel and has a crown of broccoli stuffed into his nose on his profile picture.

Right now, there are only a handful of MLAs who use Twitter on a regular basis. Calgary-Egmont Conservative MLA Jonathan Denis (JonoMLA) is among them. He watched the virtual debate on his BlackBerry as the actual debate took place on the floor of the Legislature. Denis says the technology is adding an entirely new dimension to political debate.

"This was the first time I saw people both in favour and opposed to a piece of legislation follow it in real time," Denis says via email. "I was impressed with the amount of people 'tweeting' throughout the whole process, regardless of the hour."

Calgary-Buffalo Liberal MLA Kent Hehr (calgarybuffalo) likes the concise constraints of Twitter.

"With only 140 characters to work with, on Twitter, brevity is the soul of both wit & the new political engagement" he tweets CTV Calgary.

Culture and Community Spirit Minister Lindsay Blackett (LindsayBlackett) drew a lot of attention when it was his turn to speak on Bill 44, which he introduced in the Legislature.

"If you are offended by the fact that they are sensitive issues, that's too bad," Blackett boomed at opposition members. "Those parents are whom we represent, three and a half million Albertans, not your little cabal, not your five little ridings or your nine little ridings or your special-interest groups."

Some of those watching online, in turn, took offence at Blackett's comment. The minister says he welcomes the many different viewpoints Twitter provided but is concerned about its accuracy.

"Overall, I think Twitter helped extend the debate to many around the province," says Blackett. "But there has been a lot of passionate misinformation, from teaching of evolution to what will happen to teachers in their classrooms."

The debate over Bill 44 may have ended in the Legislature but it is still raging on in cyberspace. Hundreds of comments have been submitted to Twitter since the bill became law and many believe the expanded role of technology in political debate in Alberta is here to stay.