#auspol on Bluesky: Thursday 22 October 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Helen Haines attack and violence against women: Dominant thread, with commentary on male violence, media framing, and calls for respectful political language.
• US alliance and "religious nationalism": Heavy engagement with criticism of AUKUS, Trump, and Hegseth, including the most-liked post of the window.
• Cost of living and housing: Record capital house price falls, part-time job losses, and profiteering/RBA rate debate.
• Climate, bushfires and fossil fuels: Criticism of new fossil fuel approvals and the government's climate stance, with high reposts.
• Labor leadership and government credibility: Criticism of Albanese, claims of a PMO "dirt sheet" on Haines, and a Labor "rort scandal" story.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [simonrosenberg.bsky.social] (78 likes, 23 reposts): "The US, to which we continue to tie ourselves as our primary ally, is driven by ideologies which should be anathema to all but a small number of Australians." This is the most-engaged post in the set and captures the wider alliance critique that runs through the window.
• [mrrexpatrick.bsky.social] (62 likes, 38 reposts): Flags a Timor-Leste spying allegation, with the government seeking to ban media and the public from an Administrative Review Tribunal hearing. This is a significant accountability story that engaged strongly.
• [paigeturner1853.bsky.social] (12 likes, 7 reposts): Shares how the Haines family asked for donations to Save the Children instead of flowers. It is a rare moment of shared grief that cuts across partisan lines.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, frustrated and distrustful, with a strong anti-government and anti-establishment tilt. Users express weariness with the two-party system, with calls for independents and collectives, and criticise both Labor and the Coalition on housing, climate, and the US alliance. The Helen Haines attack prompted a more reflective strand focused on respect, misogyny and online civility, but this was often undercut by partisan blame, with some posters attacking the PM's response and others criticising media framing. Hostility toward the Murdoch press and "culture war" coverage is also common. Engagement is concentrated in a few high-profile posts, while many others are low-engagement, and the tone is largely cynical rather than hopeful. Parliamentary committee posts from @belindajones68 offer a neutral, informational counterpoint, and the sitting break (next sitting Monday 26 October) gave the window a quieter, more commentary-driven character.

Most active: @decentral21.bsky.social (9 posts) · Most engaged: @mrrexpatrick.bsky.social (62 likes, 38 reposts, 8 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Political violence and gendered attacks on MPs: The Haines attack, threats against Helen Haines, and debate over whether violence against women is being framed as a mental-health issue dominated discussion, with many posts blaming far-right rhetoric and One Nation.
• Ben Roberts-Smith and the war crimes case: Posts criticised his radio interview on 2GB and his claims about a "code" of silence, with several pointing to the prosecution and the AG's funding decisions.
• One Nation and calls for deregistration: Users repeatedly attacked One Nation over hate speech, the mocking of Jacqui Lambie, and alleged ties to extremism, with some calling for the party to be deregistered.
• Israel, Gaza and Rinehart's land proposal: Pro-Palestinian posts on Gaza food aid, genocide claims and Gina Rinehart's suggestion of gifting land to Israeli settlers drew strong reactions.
• Cost of living, housing and energy: Posts covered falling house prices, fuel price gouging, food inflation linked to climate, and fossil fuel and gas exports.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Roberts-Smith criticism (strangerous.bsky.social, 59 likes, 17 reposts): "Absolutely shameless for BRS to be using right wing tabloid media 2GB to launch a public PR offensive..." This was the highest-engagement post, showing the case is a major focus.
• Haines attack and Meta (leroylynch.bsky.social, 7 likes, 4 reposts): "Labor women confronted Meta about threats to Australian MPs before Haines attack." It links the attack on an MP to platform accountability, a thread that recurs in the feed.
• Nurses' tax (aleighmp.bsky.social, 13 likes, 5 reposts): "Nurses can't split their salary among family members to cut their tax. The Coalition opposes Labor's trust reform..." It stood out as one of the few policy-focused posts with high engagement, and it was a rare mainstream-policy discussion in the feed.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is hostile, anxious and highly polarised. Much of the feed is critical of the far right (One Nation, Trump-style politics, Abbott, Rinehart) and of Labor for its perceived failures on climate, gas, AUKUS and Israel, with a strong left-leaning activist tone. Many posts are one-line links or AAP news reposts, with little substantive debate, and the discussion is dominated by outrage at violence against women and at the perceived influence of billionaires and media. Some posts show cautious optimism about the Victorian election and policy reforms, but overall the tone is angry and distrustful.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (12 posts) · Most engaged: @strangerous.bsky.social (59 likes, 17 reposts, 8 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Attack on Independent MP Dr Helen Haines: Dominates the feed, with posts on her critical condition, a man charged, a leaked "dirt sheet" allegedly sent from the PM's office, and calls for donations to Save the Children.
• Political violence, misogyny and online hate: Many posts link the Haines attack to broader threats against women in politics, Murdoch media rhetoric, and the tone of parliamentary debate.
• Gaza, Israel and war crimes: Ongoing criticism of the Future Fund's investments, judicial impartiality claims, and the Roberts-Smith/BRS allegations.
• Energy, gas and climate: Calls for a 25% gas export tax (David Pocock), Beetaloo Basin fracking pipelines, fossil fuel phase-out, and data centre energy use.
• Cost of living and housing: Supermarket profiteering, underpaid super, rental and housing crisis messaging from minor parties, and a warning about rising interest rates.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @peterwmurphy1 (30 likes): "After the attack on MP Helen Haines, note the unhinged, ranty gaslighting by NewsCorp's papers… NewsCorp, we see what you are!" It is the most-engaged post in the set and captures the dominant theme: blame for the climate of political hate.
• @davidlamond / @simonrosenberg: Rosenberg's "The Murdoch media's business model is hate and division" (4 likes, 4 reposts) echoes the same media-accountability narrative, and sits alongside Lamond's "Sound familiar, #auspol? It should..." on stochastic terrorism framing.
• @1earthmedia: Flags concern over AUKUS and outsourcing national defence to Elon Musk after a "Sieg Heil" gesture. It is notable because it links US tech-billionaire influence directly to Australian security policy, a cross-cutting concern that drew engagement from several accounts.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and alarmed, with a strong undercurrent of grief and solidarity around the Helen Haines attack. Discussion is largely left-leaning and critical of the major parties, the Murdoch press, and the Albanese government, with several users calling for deregistering One Nation and accusing Pauline Hanson of fomenting hate. Support for Haines is broad and cross-partisan in tone, though often framed as a call for better political conduct rather than policy agreement. Minor party and campaign material (Sustainable Australia, Fusion, Animal Justice Party) and a steady stream of Gaza and fossil fuel criticism add to the sense of frustration with the political system. Engagement overall is low: most posts have zero to a few likes, with a handful of posts drawing most of the attention.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (7 posts) · Most engaged: @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social (30 likes, 6 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Attack on Helen Haines MP: Dominates the feed, with posts on her injuries, calls for public solidarity, and debate over political rhetoric and threats against female politicians, including a heated exchange with James McGrath on Afternoon Briefing.
• AUKUS and US alliance: Activists push #EndAUKUS and #dumpaukus, citing a US president's perceived favouritism toward Putin as a reason to reconsider Australia's defence dependence.
• Corporate tax and Santos: Posts highlight Santos reporting $5.1 billion income while paying $0 company tax for 11 years, alongside criticism of government failures to close loopholes.
• KPMG ban and Labor grant scrutiny: The federal KPMG bidding ban was extended over "serious ethical failings," and the corruption watchdog is investigating a $560.9 million grant program that favoured Labor-held seats.
• Albanese government criticism and Gaza/Israel: Left-leaning users attack the PM over Palestine policy, neoliberalism and inequality, while a viral Kerry O'Brien remark frames Albanese's prime ministership as a disappointment.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @twitter-exile (72 likes, 41 reposts): Quotes Kerry O'Brien's blunt answer on Albanese's legacy, the most-engaged post in the set. It reflects a wider frustration on the left and signals how strongly progressive voters are questioning the government.
• @simonrosenberg (28 likes, 14 reposts): Links a report on Trump's gains for Putin to Australia's reliance on the US for defence, using #EndAUKUS. It is a clear example of the foreign-policy framing driving engagement.
• @alexwodak (9 likes, 6 reposts): Mocks Santos' $0 company tax bill, tagging the Treasurer and other MPs. It shows how tax-avoidance stories are being pushed directly at ministers.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is largely angry and distrustful, with the Helen Haines attack prompting shock and sympathy alongside a sharper, sometimes hostile, debate over political violence and online abuse. Much of the discussion is left-leaning, targeting the Albanese government over AUKUS, Gaza, corporate tax and perceived complacency, while some posts are crude or celebrate the attack, which is a notable undercurrent. Spam-like hashtag trend posts and fringe content add noise, but the dominant tone is frustrated, with many users feeling let down by both major parties and warning about rising extremism.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @twitter-exile.bsky.social (72 likes, 41 reposts, 12 replies)