#auspol on Bluesky: Friday 23 October 2026

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Snowy 2.0 cost blowout and FOI secrecy: Multiple posts (including a high-engagement one at 37B total versus the $2B original pitch) highlight the project's cost overruns and a Full Federal Court FOI challenge seeking transparency.
• AUKUS opposition: Calls to end the submarine deal recur, framed as wasteful spending that could fund housing, aged care and education.
• Helen Haines and political civility: Posts on Haines's situation, calls for "civility" after political violence, and backlash over attacks on politicians (including the "Haines talk") drive substantial discussion.
• Albanese's leadership and "Captain Disappointment": The top-engagement post (122 likes) argues the PM's 94-seat majority should be used for structural reform rather than serving vested interests.
• Data centres and energy: Opposition to AI data centres, grid-scale battery price-setting data, and NSW Labor's plan to override a High Court coal mine ruling feature in the feed.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (122 likes, 44 reposts): "In his second term, Albanese has a thumping 94 seat majority. If he can't find the spine now to stare down basic vested interests..." This is the highest-engagement post, and it captures a broader progressive frustration that a large mandate is going unused.
• Mr R Expatrick (32 likes, 18 reposts): Argues the Snowy 2.0 project is "a $37B total for a project sold to the public at $2B" with no accountability. It is the most-shared cost-overrun post and reflects a recurring theme of public-money scrutiny across the feed.
• Fusion Party/Helen Haines-related posts: Several posts praise Helen Haines's conduct "in what was surely the worst week of his life" and call for "decency and gratitude," marking a notable counter-narrative of civility amid the wider heat around political violence.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly frustrated and critical, with a left-leaning, anti-establishment tone. Much of the discussion centres on perceived government failure (Snowy 2.0, AUKUS, data centres) and a sense that major parties, the "duopoly," and corporate interests are unaccountable. Some posts express anger toward Albanese specifically, with the "Captain Disappointment" framing recurring. There are also undercurrents of concern about political violence, the cost of living, and bushfire preparedness, alongside humour and sarcasm (e.g., "Albo's pedophile friends," "We are led by idiots"). Several posts are low-engagement, single-hashtag or bot-like shares, so the sentiment reflects a vocal, politically engaged minority rather than a representative sample of Australian opinion.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (8 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (122 likes, 44 reposts, 10 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Domestic Gas Reservation Bill and gas taxation: Senate inquiry evidence and calls to tax gas exports or fossil fuel infrastructure (including Gorgon methane plumes) dominate climate-related posts.
• Snowy 2.0 cost blowout: Estimates rising up to twelvefold drew "alarming" reactions and questions about government procurement, with AUKUS costs raised as a related concern.
• Helen Haines attack and political violence: The hit-and-run on the independent MP prompted outrage and comparisons with the government's response to domestic violence murders.
• AUKUS: Critics question its cost, strategic logic and US dependence, with some calling for it to be ended.
• Gaza and Israel: Posts on genocide, Zionism and the Greens' UK policy drew some of the highest engagement in the set.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [michaelwestbiz.bsky.social] (48 likes, 25 reposts): Citing Judith Treanor, it argues that "Let the antizionist dominos fall" reflects a shift toward mainstream recognition of Israel's apartheid. It was the most-engaged post and shows how the Greens' Zionism policy is driving debate.
• [lucyham.bsky.social] (13 likes, 6 reposts): "It has taken decades of work and funding to make Islamophobia almost the last tolerated bigotry." It is one of the more substantive contributions, framing anti-Muslim sentiment as tied to resource interests.
• [twangmaker.bsky.social] (8 likes, 7 reposts): Alleges that Joel Fitzgibbon lobbied for Ben Roberts-Smith while being paid by the weapons industry, and that media failed to disclose this. It is a high-engagement claim of undisclosed conflicts of interest, though it is unverified in these posts.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and distrustful, with frequent criticism of both Labor and the Coalition over cost blowouts, climate inaction, AUKUS, and the handling of political violence. Many posts are sharp in tone, including personal insults and strong language directed at Albanese, and there is a recurring sense of disillusionment with major parties, which fuels support for independents, the Greens and Fusion. Discussion of the Gaza conflict is highly polarised and emotionally charged. Some posts are neutral, such as parliamentary schedule notices and news shares, but the overall tenor is adversarial and frustrated.

Most active: @peggysanders.bsky.social (6 posts) · Most engaged: @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (48 likes, 25 reposts, 1 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS defence deal scrutiny: Repeated posts (many via John Menadue quotes and the #EndAUKUS tag) criticise the cost, sovereignty and US reliance of the submarine program, alongside a claimed "committee to monitor AUKUS."
• Snowy 2.0 cost blowout and procurement: Posts report costs now at $22.2 billion (worst case $25 billion) and attack both parties over the fixed-price contract and engineering failures.
• Gas, methane and energy policy: Discussion centres on Chevron's Gorgon methane plume flagged by the UN, the Domestic Gas Reservation Bill, and calls to fine polluters over climate warnings.
• Data centres and the AI bubble: Posts link NEXTDC's $3B share downgrade after a Jemena pole pause to concerns about Australia's planned 20GW of data-centre capacity against 1.5GW operating.
• Queensland seat shake-up and One Nation: Michelle Landry's retirement from Capricornia and Matt Canavan's expected move to the lower house, plus One Nation's polling strength, drive commentary on the Victorian election and Coalition fortunes.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [pupfiction.bsky.social] (70 likes, 18 reposts): "Raise the rate of unemployment benefits so that some people are less desperate to survive..." This was the most-engaged post in the set, linking the JobSeeker debate to the broader sense of anger and hopelessness in the community.
• [1earthmedia.bsky.social] (17 likes, 17 reposts): Satellite detection of methane clouds over Chevron's Gorgon LNG project, with a UN warning. Its high repost rate and factual hook made it one of the most widely amplified posts.
• [ausconservation.bsky.social] (6 likes, 5 reposts): The ACF's warning to the Senate inquiry that a gas reservation scheme could become "a fig leaf for the drilling and fracking of major new gas basins." It is a substantive policy intervention in a live debate.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and cynical, with frequent accusations of government incompetence, corporate capture and donor-driven policy across both major parties. Anger is directed at Labor over AUKUS, gas and Gaza, at the Coalition over Snowy 2.0 and the LNP's plans around the Bureau of Meteorology, and at One Nation, which draws both hostility and alarm. Much of the discussion is driven by advocacy accounts and commentary rather than mainstream debate, and some posts are heavily partisan or inflammatory, including calls for the Prime Minister to resign and comparisons to fascism. Still, there are pockets of constructive engagement, such as policy analysis, calls for stronger regulation, and community-focused messaging from local MPs. Overall engagement is low: most posts have zero to two likes, and only a handful reach double digits, suggesting a fragmented, mostly broadcast-style conversation rather than a lively exchange.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (9 posts) · Most engaged: @pupfiction.bsky.social (70 likes, 18 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Helen Haines attack and political violence: Multiple posts discuss the attack on the independent MP, with debate over whether media framing as politically motivated is accurate and calls for civility in political discourse.
• Snowy 2.0 cost blowout: Posts from AAP feeds and commentators criticise the project's spiralling costs and the design-first-then-drill approach, with blame directed at both Coalition and Labor.
• Cost of living and housing: Discussion covers supermarket price rises, Airbnb cleaning rule changes, and Victoria's push for infill housing that limits neighbour appeals.
• Gas and climate policy: Posts address Labor's gas reservation, a proposed $2 billion Middle Arm gas hub in Darwin Harbour, WA methane emissions, and NSW Premier Minns' climate stance.
• One Nation and the Coalition: Commentary targets One Nation's rise, Pauline Hanson's Queensland ambitions (including the Yeppoon contest), and Liberal/National figures' resignations.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [siriusstar3.bsky.social] (23 likes, 7 reposts): Contrasts a $4.3 billion aircraft program with NDIS support packages, meals, and public housing. It is the most-engaged post in the set and captures a widely shared frame: defence spending versus domestic social need.
• [ajaanmark.bsky.social] (24 likes, 4 reposts): Argues Australia would benefit from keeping international students who want to stay. This is the highest-liked post and reflects a positive, forward-looking tone on migration that is rare in this feed.
• [lisazed.bsky.social] (0 likes, but thematically central): Questions media framing of the Helen Haines incident, noting police information suggests the attack was not politically motivated. It stands out because it challenges the dominant narrative around political violence, though it has little engagement so far.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and frustrated, with most posts targeting governments of both major parties for costly projects, inaction on housing and cost of living, and poor conduct in public life. Anger is directed at corporate power (supermarkets, property owners, fossil fuel companies), at One Nation's growth, and at the wider state of political discourse following the Haines attack. Several posts are partisan or reposted news feeds with little original commentary, and a noticeable share are automated or promotional (Fusion Party, AAP feed, trending-hashtag bots). Humour and schadenfreude appear occasionally, but the overall tone is one of disillusionment rather than hope, with engagement concentrated on a small number of posts.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @siriusstar3.bsky.social (23 likes, 7 reposts, 1 replies)