#auspol on Bluesky: Sunday 18 October 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Labor criticism and AUKUS: Many posts attack Labor from the left over AUKUS, gas taxation, and perceived donor-friendly policy, with Simon Rosenberg's post drawing the most engagement (60 likes, 21 reposts) on "unquestioning loyalty" in Labor.
• Gaza, Israel and Palestine: A cluster of posts covers genocide complicity, Palestinian statehood recognition, and a settler olive-theft ruling, often linking Labor and the Greens to the debate.
• Media and ABC: The return of The Sunday Shot on Insiders drew strong reactions, with posts celebrating independent media and criticising the ABC programming.
• Caulfield Cup horse death: Animal Justice Party posts about Ohope Wins' death after the Caulfield Cup got solid engagement, with Georgie Purcell's statement at 9 likes and 3 reposts.
• Trump, US influence and Pine Gap: Posts raise concerns about Trump's threats, US surveillance (Palantir), and whether Australia was involved in Ukraine's communications shutdown.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (60 likes, 21 reposts): "Unquestioning loyalty is framed as 'discipline'. Alternative views are 'complaints'." This is the highest-engagement post in the set, and it captures a broader frustration that Labor's internal culture suppresses dissent, linking this to AUKUS and donor influence.
• Animal Justice Party (9 likes, 3 reposts): The Caulfield Cup post, quoting MP Georgie Purcell, stands out as one of the few non-partisan posts with substantial engagement, showing that animal welfare can cut across the usual political divides.
• Adoptond (13 likes, 2 reposts): "Support indie media." This post, reacting to The Sunday Shot's return, reflects the wider theme of audiences moving away from mainstream political commentary toward independent outlets.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and frustrated, with a notable left-leaning edge. Most posts target Labor for being too close to business, the US alliance, or Israel, while some call for a stronger left party or independent alternatives. Commentary on the Coalition and One Nation is also negative, with posts mocking merger talk and criticising Pauline Hanson's treatment of the media. Engagement is modest overall, with few posts above 10 likes, and the strongest engagement concentrates on the left-wing critique of Labor and the Gaza debate. Some lighter moments appear, such as the Sunday Shot celebration, but the dominant tone is one of disillusionment with major parties and the government's foreign policy choices.

Most active: @twangmaker.bsky.social (4 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (60 likes, 21 reposts, 5 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Far-right networking and One Nation's rise: The most-engaged thread, driven by lucyham's Substack pieces on Mont Pelerin Society, Danube Institute and Plymouth Brethren donations (up to 45 likes), alongside coverage of Vikki Campion's dual roles as a Daily Telegraph columnist and One Nation NSW media adviser.
• Abbott-era and Coalition-adjacent scrutiny on ABC Insiders: Repeated criticism of David Speers' interviewing of Treasury assistant minister Dan Mulino over ATO credit card payments, trust tax changes and pensioner health insurance, with accusations of LNP-friendly bias.
• Tax reform and the cost-of-living debate: Discretionary trust changes, the credit card surcharge ban, Labor's tax-the-wealthy calls and Chalmers' future leadership all feature, with critics on both left and right.
• Israel, Gaza and spyware: Posts on the Candiru spyware targeting journalists, West Bank settler violence, and genocide claims, often linked to AUKUS and US reliability.
• Tech billionaires and platform regulation: Concern about Musk, Zuckerberg and Thiel's influence, plus Meta and Facebook's ad-heavy feeds and Kerry Stokes and Gina Rinehart's control of Seven.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• lucyham.bsky.social (45 likes, 30 reposts): "If you have some time to read this weekend, keep an eye on where our radicalising right-wing players are networking, at home and overseas. It's disturbing." This was the highest-engagement post, reflecting a broad appetite for investigation into transnational right-wing networks.
• peggysanders.bsky.social (12 likes, 4 reposts): Lucy Hamilton's report that a new One Nation-aligned figure moderated a panel at the Mont Pelerin Society, which frames One Nation's "battler" branding as undermined by neoliberal links.
• darkmatterzine.bsky.social (34 likes, 9 reposts): "oh please please PLEASE get a good left wing party to replace Labor now that Labor has turned on ordinary Australians..." It captures a notable left-flank disillusionment with the Albanese government.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The conversation is sharply critical and polarised, with few posts expressing unqualified support for any major party. Left-leaning users attack the Albanese government for insufficient tax reform, weak tech regulation and inaction on Israel and AUKUS, while also warning about One Nation and the Coalition's growing alignment with far-right networks. Right-leaning and centrist voices, and many users tagging ABC Insiders, complain about perceived media bias, particularly against Coalition figures. Overall the mood is cynical and distrustful, with a strong undercurrent of anger at both major parties, interest in minor and independent alternatives (Fusion, Animal Justice Party, Greens), and a good deal of humour and sarcasm. Much of the volume is also low-engagement, with many posts being bare hashtags or news-feed relays, suggesting a smaller core of highly active commentators.

Most active: @ashrafghebranious.bsky.social (14 posts) · Most engaged: @lucyham.bsky.social (45 likes, 30 reposts, 4 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS and US alliance criticism: Multiple posts (including a high-engagement one from Simon Rosenberg) attack the AUKUS submarine deal and US military basing as subservience to Washington.
• Minor party and crossbench politics: Discussion of the Greens, teal independents, One Nation (PHON) and the prospect of a minority government, with posters urging votes for the Greens or warning about One Nation's rise.
• Israel, Gaza and the Middle East: Posts cover settler violence, Gaza, sanctions, and Iran-related tensions, often framed critically of Israel and the US.
• Victorian state politics and policy: Opposition leader Jess Wilson's pledge to scrap the gas appliance ban, Labor's trust tax, and Fusion Victoria's data centre and housing proposals.
• Economy and cost of living: Shared AAP reporting on rising unemployment and RBA rate expectations, a US$2 trillion deficit, and home auction declines.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (52 likes, 25 reposts): "A vassal state will remain quiet. #EndAUKUS" — the most-engaged political post in the set, it sums up the strongest anti-alliance sentiment in the conversation.
• @ajgardineresq.bsky.social (32 likes, 12 reposts): Quotes modelling that One Nation's immigration plans would cost 820,000 jobs and add $275b to debt, using it to mock the party. It is the highest-engagement post on One Nation.
• @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (19 likes, 10 reposts): The "MAGA (Make Albo Go Away)" framing, which links Australian discontent with Labor to the US midterm backlash against Trump. It is a rare post suggesting Labor is losing ground.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is largely hostile and cynical. Most posts express distrust of the major parties, with Labor and the Coalition both portrayed as beholden to donors or to the US, and anger at One Nation, which draws the most mockery. Engagement is thin for most posts, with only a few exceeding 10 likes, so the conversation reads as a fragmented, mostly left-leaning set of activist and commentary voices rather than a broad public debate. Some posts show hope for the Greens or independents, but many are openly despairing, describing the mainstream parties as "indistinguishable" and the political system as corrupt. Foreign policy, especially Gaza and AUKUS, generates the most moral urgency, while economic and state-level posts tend to be more informational and neutral.

Most active: @indymediaaus.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy (4 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (52 likes, 25 reposts, 4 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Israel, Palestine and BDS: The largest cluster, with about a dozen posts on Gaza, Zionism, Israeli surveillance tech (including a petition on Israeli AI cameras with the most engagement in this group), and calls for Labor to face consequences.
• AUKUS: Several posts criticise the cost and lack of parliamentary scrutiny, with one pushing for a parliamentary inquiry and another arguing the deal is "undeliverable."
• Victorian election: Posts cover Labor's $30 weekly toll cap against the opposition's alternative, the gas ban, and Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell's end-of-term summary, which drew the highest engagement in the set (16 likes).
• Federal ATO credit card ban "blackout": Reports that ministers knew months before the public did that the tax office would stop accepting card payments, which some posters call a revolt over the handling.
• Campaign petitions and policy pushes: Australia Institute and Fusion Party calls on Big Tech accountability, a gas export tax, truth in political advertising, and housing and transport reform.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [animaljusticeparty.bsky.social]: Georgie Purcell's four-year parliamentary summary ("Parliament is officially over, and we're ready to put everything we have into the election") is the most-liked post in the set (16 likes). It signals a minor party positioning itself ahead of the Victorian poll.
• [insnip.bsky.social]: "The Australian government has admitted it knew about the ATO's credit card tax payment ban in July, two months earlier than previously stated." This is the most concrete accountability claim in the sample. It is echoed by an AAP repost quoting "'Can't be repeated': revolt over card ban blackout."
• [twangmaker.bsky.social]: Argues petrol and diesel car resale values "will continue to crash" and that petrol refining may need subsidies. It is a rare economic post with solid engagement (6 likes, 5 reposts), reflecting a wider discussion about transition costs.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and distrustful, with the strongest criticism coming from the left against the Albanese Labor government over Israel, AUKUS, and perceived capture by the right. Posters describe Labor as "indistinguishable" from the opposition and call for the PM to go, while attacks on the Coalition in Queensland over child safety and on One Nation are also prominent. Many posts are campaign or advocacy pushes (petitions, party recruitment) rather than conversation, and the sample includes some off-topic and extremist content, so the discussion is fragmented and highly partisan. Engagement is generally low, with most posts receiving zero to a handful of likes.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (7 posts) · Most engaged: @jessicaperthwa.bsky.social (15 likes, 8 reposts, 1 replies)