#auspol on Bluesky: Saturday 17 October 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS and submarine policy: Heavy repeat posting (notably Peter Briggs commentary and #EndAUKUS campaigns) criticises the Stirling forward-basing costs, the Pillar 1 "Ponzi scheme" framing, and US/UK reliance.
• Liberal Party infighting and the Victorian election: Koutsoukis-sourced posts dominate, covering the Abbott/Credlin/Loughnane faction, Josh Frydenberg's memoir, Jess Wilson's standing against One Nation, and moderates being purged.
• Gas exports and a gas export tax: Calls for a 25% export tax, critiques of the gas reservation scheme, and the government's perceived capture by "Big Gas" recur across several posts.
• One Nation and the far right: Posts attack Pauline Hanson's party, its Victorian candidates, and warn that a Coalition–One Nation mix could follow a Labor loss ahead of the next election.
• NDIS, welfare and cost of living: Concerns about NDIS cuts, JobSeeker adequacy, child-safety staffing, and femicide funding feature as a cluster of Labor-critical posts.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (@simonrosenberg.bsky.social), 36 likes / 24 reposts: Argues the ADF's growing Starlink integration creates "sovereignty risks of relying on the world's richest neo-Nazi." This was the highest-engagement post in the set and links defence reliance on US tech to the broader #EndAUKUS theme.
• Tassiedevil (@tassiedevil.bsky.social), 5 likes: Asks whether voters "really want to replace a Labor government with a hybrid One Nation/Coalition government," a rare cross-spectrum concern about the alternative that reflects anxiety about the opposition rather than just Labor failings.
• Brionykidd (@brionykidd.bsky.social), 7 likes / 5 reposts: Describes carers forced to choose between a home and providing care under government changes, asking "WTF are we doing here, Labor?" It is one of the few posts centring a personal, human-scale story.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and frustrated, with most posts targeting the Albanese government from the left (on AUKUS, gas, NDIS and US alignment) while others warn with alarm about the far right, One Nation and a possible Liberal resurgence. Engagement is low overall, with most posts receiving zero to a handful of likes, and the conversation is dominated by a few repeat posters, especially Peggy Sanders sharing Koutsoukis and Briggs pieces and Robert Duncan posting high-volume hashtag-stacked content. Pockets of levity and civic messaging (Fusion Party transport, Indigenous-led community events, a grass pollen alert) appear, but the prevailing tone is pessimistic about the major parties and the direction of both Australian and US politics.

Most active: @peggysanders.bsky.social (16 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (36 likes, 24 reposts, 3 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Mount Pleasant coal mine High Court ruling: A thread from Geoffrey Watson (via peggysanders) dominates, dissecting the decision on Scope 3 emissions and its supposed reach, with several posts describing the reaction as overstated.
• AUKUS and defence spending: Critics call the submarine program a "Ponzi scheme" and argue it is diverting funds from the NDIS, with Richard Marles and Labor the main targets.
• Gina Rinehart and One Nation: Posts attack Rinehart's reported ownership role in One Nation and her corporate welfare, with some pieces resurfacing older allegations.
• Trump, the US alliance and sovereignty: Frequent posts contrast Trump's behaviour with Australian sovereignty concerns, alongside broader anti-Trump commentary.
• Palantir, AI and US tech dependence: Posts raise concerns about surveillance, AI-driven pricing (flagged by the ACCC) and reliance on US tech firms.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Michael West (@michaelwestbiz), 197 likes / 69 reposts: Shared an article claiming "the Israel lobby is losing ground" in Sydney courts and US Congress. It was the most-engaged post in the set, showing how strongly the Middle East and Palestine debate is driving engagement.
• Simon Rosenberg (@simonrosenberg), 30 likes / 20 reposts: Quotes a "classic Ponzi scheme" framing to attack AUKUS spending and Richard Marles. Its high engagement and sharp framing make it representative of the sovereignty-and-spending critique.
• Michael West, on ministers vetoing FOI requests: "It's all about the PR and the optics." Built on reporting by @mrrexpatrick, this is a rare accountability-focused post, tying into transparency concerns about government decision-making.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is distinctly hostile and cynical, with little sign of constructive debate. Criticism is directed at nearly every major actor: the Albanese Labor government (over AUKUS, the NDIS, and budget competence), the Coalition and One Nation (via Rinehart and Abbott), the US under Trump, and the Greens, who are targeted in a heated thread about an alleged cover-up. Language is often incendiary, with slurs and conspiratorial claims appearing alongside legitimate policy critique, and some posts veer into antisemitic or otherwise inflammatory territory. Many accounts are openly partisan, and several posters warn about echo chambers, which suggests a fragmented audience talking mostly to people who already agree. Engagement is concentrated in a small number of posts, so the discourse looks more polarised and angry than the overall volume alone would indicate.

Most active: @peggysanders.bsky.social (19 posts) · Most engaged: @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (197 likes, 69 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Exclusive Brethren and the AEC/Liberal volunteer controversy: Reports that the Brethren sought access to an Australian Electoral Commission database and that thousands of members volunteered for the Liberals at the 2025 election drew repeated shares, with Bruce Hales denying involvement.
• Greens and the Jordan Steele-John allegations: Claims of a secret dossier kept for a decade, plus fallout from Shoebridge's bill on shackled births, dominated Greens-focused threads.
• Labor's standing and the left/One Nation split: Debate over whether Albanese can win back One Nation voters or is losing the left, alongside the 30% trusts tax bill and Labor MPs' grumbling.
• AUKUS, US alliance and Ukraine/Russia: Recurring critiques of AUKUS costs, US foreign policy, and the Budapest Memorandum, often framed as Australia's subordination to Washington.
• Liberal leadership and the Atlas Network/Abbott nexus: Commentary on Angus Taylor, Abbott, Credlin and Loughnane controlling the Liberal Party, and transnational right-wing networks.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [deniseshrivell.bsky.social] (68 likes, 20 reposts): "When you see the major parties legislate against the public interest - and then track it back to major party donations - you realise how cheaply they are willing to sell us out." This was the most-engaged post, and it captures a broad cynicism about donations and policy capture that cuts across party lines.
• [lucyham.bsky.social] (19 likes, 16 reposts): Links Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party to Atlas Network "transnational Right" operations in Canada and the EU. Its high engagement suggests a receptive audience for claims of coordinated international right-wing influence.
• [1earthmedia.bsky.social] (3–4 likes, 2–3 reposts): Reacting to the Brethren's reported attempt to access AEC data: "Does this cult have the AEC data? How can this happen?" It is a clear example of the electoral-integrity concern that ran through the period, repeated in several posts.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is largely cynical and adversarial. Most posts express distrust of the major parties, whether through donation-driven policy critiques, Labor "betrayal" framing from the left, or Greens-bashing from the centre-right and sceptics. Foreign policy (AUKUS, US dominance, Israel) draws sharp, often angry language, and several posts are heavily partisan or convey conspiratorial themes about Western media and governments. Some voices push back against tribalism and defend Labor's record, but these are a minority. Overall engagement is low: most posts have zero to three likes, so the highest-engagement content is concentrated in a few posts about corruption and donations.

Most active: @stinginthetail.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @deniseshrivell.bsky.social (68 likes, 20 reposts, 7 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Israel/Gaza and Labor's foreign policy: The largest cluster of posts criticises the Albanese government over Israel, Gaza, and alleged complicity, with several calling Labor "cowards" and invoking genocide.
• Populism and One Nation: Posts discuss One Nation polling at 25% in Essential and Mathias Cormann's warning that parties copying populists "lose twice," alongside Hanson-linked attack-ad concerns.
• Fossil fuels and climate: Greenpeace's occupation of Woodside's Scott Reef gas project, calls to phase out fossil fuels faster, and a Victorian election petition on a duty of care for future generations drew engagement.
• Domestic violence and gender violence: One widely discussed post argues Australia is ignoring a domestic and gender violence crisis.
• Aged care automation and AUKUS: Concerns over algorithmic aged-care funding decisions and calls to drop AUKUS submarines in favour of drone-based defence each drew small but substantive discussion.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [qldaah.bsky.social] (47 likes, 18 reposts): "Oh, dear. #auspol" linking to a Guardian media story. It is the highest-engagement post in the set, though the sparse text leaves its topic unclear without the link.
• [barbie4science.bsky.social] (13 likes, 10 reposts): Reports that Greenpeace activists occupied Woodside's offshore gas project at Scott Reef in a peaceful protest. It is the most substantive climate-activism item and shows high reshare activity.
• [peterwmurphy1.bsky.social] (no engagement): Argues that the gender-violence crisis in Australia is being ignored: "WOMEN AREN'T RAPING OR KILLING MEN to the same insane degree! In Australia, we have a #DV #VAW crisis and we're ignoring it." It is notable for framing a domestic violence issue against a viral trend, though it drew no visible engagement.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly hostile and oppositional, with the strongest voices coming from the left and far left. Much of the discussion targets the Labor government for its Israel policy, fossil fuel approvals and AUKUS, while others express alarm at One Nation's rise and at right-leaning media. Tone is frequently sarcastic or inflammatory (e.g., "Mr No-one-left-behind is full of 💩"), and a large share of posts is hashtag-heavy with little original commentary, suggesting automated or repeated posting. Some posts from the same accounts repeat tags across many unrelated items. Overall engagement is low, with only a handful of posts receiving meaningful likes or reposts, so the conversation is fragmented rather than driven by a single shared narrative.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @qldaah.bsky.social (47 likes, 18 reposts, 10 replies)