#auspol on Bluesky: Sunday 11 October 2026

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Victorian election and One Nation's rise: Posts about Victoria's upcoming state election, the Animal Justice Party's Niddrie run, and preference deals (including a "One Nation last" tag) dominate the conversation.
• CPAC Brisbane and the Coalition's right-wing drift: Angus Taylor's apology on immigration, Pauline Hanson's prominence, and claims of "fascist" alignment make this the most-engaged thread.
• AUKUS and US alliance concerns: Critics highlight Penny Wong's silence on Trump, Cocos Islands military use, and the Albanese government's perceived deference to Washington.
• ABC bias and media framing: Debate over ABC coverage of Israel/Gaza (a highly liked Michael West piece) and whether outlets mislabel parties as "conservative" or Labor as "progressive."
• Climate, energy and data centres: Coal industry scrutiny, Victoria's nuclear/solar debate, and AI data centre concerns round out the policy discussion.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [michaelwestbiz.bsky.social] (26 likes, 15 reposts): Alleges the ABC "was stooged by Israel lobbyist Lord Roberts," claiming it "churned out multiple lies." It was the most-engaged post in the set, showing how the ABC/Gaza coverage dispute is resonating.
• [simonrosenberg.bsky.social] (21 likes, 17 reposts): "Penny Wong has had 24 hours, but still nothing... The Australian govt's craven failure to say [let alone do] anything critical of the Trump regime is humiliating." It is the top-engaging policy critique and captures a broad progressive frustration with the US alliance.
• [mlbkiwi.bsky.social] (25 likes, 3 reposts): "Trump destroys the world energy economy then sells out Ukraine and blames them. What a cunt." Blunt, high-engagement framing of US foreign policy that echoes the wider anti-Trump sentiment in the thread.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and distrustful, with a strong left-progressive and anti-Trump tilt. Posters are frustrated with both major parties, accusing Labor of timidity on the US alliance, AUKUS, poverty and climate, while warning of rising far-right influence through One Nation and CPAC-linked figures. Engagement is modest overall (most posts have few or no likes), and many tweets are repetitive or promotional, such as recurring automated or bot-like posts about AI and data centres. Still, there is an undercurrent of activist optimism, with calls to "get active" and support independents and Greens ahead of the Victorian election.

Most active: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (6 posts) · Most engaged: @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (26 likes, 15 reposts, 1 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Angus Taylor's migration policy and "lower numbers, higher standards" pitch: Dominates the discussion after a widely criticised Insiders interview, with many posters calling it a cover for racism and economic incoherence.
• US military buildup on Cocos (Keeling) Islands: A heavily amplified thread of posts from one account (quoting Peter Cronau) on the expansion of US and Australian military infrastructure for a potential China conflict, with the top post drawing 22 likes and 21 reposts.
• One Nation's rise and the CPAC event: Posters link Pauline Hanson's surge to racism, media "enabling," and the Liberal Party's drift to the hard right, including Tony Abbott's new LNP presidency.
• Trump, the US alliance and Ukraine: Criticism of Trump's diesel deal with Putin, calls to distance Australia from the US, and questions over AUKUS and "shared values."
• Victorian election and state policy: Scattered posts on Labor's royalties-for-regions pledge (ahead of the 28 November election), the Animal Justice Party's campaign, and Queensland's energy plans.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @peggysanders.bsky.social (22 likes, 21 reposts): "Runway extensions, new military infrastructure & US planning are transforming Cocos Islands into strategically important forward operating base, with little public debate…" This was the most engaged post in the set and anchors the day's most-shared thread, which frames a defence development as under-reported.
• @twangmaker.bsky.social (25 likes, 7 reposts): Shares a cartoon from The Age with no caption, and was the most-liked post of the period. It reflects the cartoon-led commentary on the day's politics.
• @tonywalkley.bsky.social (12 likes, 2 reposts): "Angus Taylor makes Pauline Hanson sound coherent and competent. No wonder the Liberals are, to use a technical term, fucked." A typical sharp summary of the Coalition's messaging problems, and representative of the day's most common framing.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is overwhelmingly hostile, with most of the conversation directed at the Coalition, Angus Taylor, One Nation and Trump. Posts are frequently sarcastic, profane, and mocking, and the migration debate is largely read through a lens of racism and economic incoherence. Left-leaning voices dominate, and there is a strong undercurrent of anti-government and anti-media frustration, including complaints that Labor has been too quiet on the US alliance and that the ABC and Channel 7 are either compromised or too soft on the right. Some posts are purely humorous or neutral (a cartoon share, a "Sunday Fun Fact," a good-morning post), but these are a small minority. Overall the tone is angry, cynical and highly partisan, with little engagement across party lines.

Most active: @peggysanders.bsky.social (17 posts) · Most engaged: @peggysanders.bsky.social (22 likes, 21 reposts, 28 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Pauline Hanson / One Nation and the CPAC Australia event: Posts dissect Hanson's rising profile, the media's soft treatment of her, and her sharing a stage with Angus Taylor and Gina Rinehart-linked sponsorship, with Simon Rosenberg's post drawing the most engagement.
• Gaza and Palestine protests: Multiple "Global Day of Action" posts from Adelaide and Melbourne, plus commentary on Israel and the Gaza genocide, the Mackell emails prosecution, and aid cuts.
• AUKUS and foreign policy/US alignment: Criticism of Albanese and Marles for continuing AUKUS, concerns about the Cocos Islands and Nauru US military basing, and anger at Trump's policies, including the reported Minab school strike.
• ABC bias and media criticism: Complaints about the ABC's handling of Roberts' commentary on Israel and Gaza, and about media treatment of Hanson and of Geraldine Doogue.
• Election-campaign positioning and the Liberal Party: Discussion of Angus Taylor's immigration policy, the Liberals' slogan-driven campaign, Frydenberg's return, mineral royalties pledges, and the "November election" race.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (76 likes, 31 reposts): "If Hanson 'seems more and more like the de facto opposition leader', it's because legacy media... keeps giving her an easy ride." This is the most-engaged post in the set and captures a widely shared frustration that mainstream coverage normalises One Nation's racism and far-right links.
• @peggysanders.bsky.social (on Mackell): Reposts a report that a man faces up to five years in prison for sending 30 emails to his local MP about Gaza, under a "use carriage service to menace, harass or offend" charge. It is notable as a free-expression concern and ties into the wider "Australian democracy" critique in the feed.
• @satojuniper.bsky.social (10 likes, 6 reposts): "I miss the ABC that we used to trust," quoting a critique of the ABC's coverage of Israel's Gaza genocide. It reflects a growing left-leaning split over public broadcaster trust, which is itself a notable undercurrent.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, cynical and anxious, with heavy distrust of both major parties, the US alliance, and mainstream media. Left-leaning voices dominate, with strong condemnation of AUKUS, Trump, Israel, and fossil-fuel donations, while right-leaning and One Nation-related posts draw criticism for racism and populism. Humour and mockery are common, targeting Hanson, Taylor, Albanese and the Liberals. Some posts express hope for alternatives (Greens, community independents), but the dominant tone is one of disillusionment with the political establishment ahead of the November election. Note that the sample includes many repetitive posts, bot-like hashtag-trend spam (toptags), and reposted news feeds, so the volume figures should be read with caution.

Most active: @peggysanders.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (76 likes, 31 reposts, 10 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Israel/Gaza and Australian foreign policy: Multiple posts cover the Gaza day of action, a large Sydney pro-Palestine rally, calls to sanction Israel, and criticism of Labor's arms-related spending through Elbit contracts.
• Labor government criticism and Greens support: Many posts attack Labor as complicit, with some suggesting a Trump administration hold over Albanese, while Greens-aligned accounts promote their candidates and cartoons.
• Housing, cost of living and childcare: Posts discuss childcare costs, housing affordability and tax changes, along with the Intergenerational Report's projection that deaths will outnumber births by the 2060s.
• Opposition leadership and Coalition politics: Commentary targets Angus Taylor, Pauline Hanson's comments on the Liberal leader, and LNP and One Nation alignment.
• Anti-capitalism and US politics spillover: A cluster of repeated, hashtag-heavy posts from one account pushes anticapitalist and anti-Trump content, inflating apparent volume.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [peterwmurphy1.bsky.social] (57 likes, 15 reposts): Praises a large Hyde Park pro-Palestine rally, noting Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi got the loudest cheers. It is the most engaged organic post in the set and reflects the day's biggest street event.
• [lucyham.bsky.social] (53 likes, 26 reposts): Criticises ABC journalist Geraldine Doogue's interview with a pro-Israel guest and links the guest to the Atlas Network. It has the highest engagement of the window and shows media-bias debate gaining traction.
• [siriusstar3.bsky.social] (8 likes, 5 reposts): Quotes UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, "the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity", and directly addresses the Labor Party. It captures the sharpest moral framing of the Gaza debate.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and cynical, with frequent contempt for both major parties and a sense that politicians are complicit or out of touch. Gaza and the government's stance on Israel generate the most emotional intensity, alongside frustration over housing, childcare and the cost of living. Support is visible for the Greens and for left-wing positions, and there is some personal insult and profanity. Much of the volume is low-engagement and repetitive, and a significant share is hashtag spam or bot-like trending-tag posts. Overall engagement is modest across the window, so this reflects a small, highly motivated online community rather than a broad public mood.

Most active: @robduncan.bsky.social (9 posts) · Most engaged: @lucyham.bsky.social (53 likes, 26 reposts, 1 replies)