#auspol on Bluesky: Sunday 25 October 2026

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Climate and BoM temperature conspiracy row: Posts (notably Simon Rosenberg's, the most-engaged post in the set at 33 likes) criticise Lachlan Murdoch and media outlets for pushing claims that the Bureau of Meteorology manipulates temperature data, contrasting this with the PM's call to "turn the temperature down."
• Media trust and accountability: Several posts argue the media is blaming social media for extremism rather than hate-mongers, and renew calls for a royal commission into the media, with a recurring push for independent candidates and "Fusion" style reform.
• Independents and political reform: Posts from decentral21 and fusionparty promote independents (Helen Haines, Wilkie, Steggall) and transparency reforms, framing major parties as captured by corporate donors.
• Cost of living and housing: Stamp duty reform, land value tax proposals, and a 'housing crisis' hashtag feature, alongside soft plastic recycling funding gaps.
• Middle East and defence policy: Posts criticise AUKUS, Australia's reliance on the US, and the Albanese government's stance on Israel and Gaza-related issues.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (33 likes, 12 reposts): "The PM has been telling everyone to turn the temperature down. He might want to have a word to Lachlan Murdoch..." This is the highest-engagement post, linking a national leadership message directly to a specific media-driven misinformation campaign.
• Simon Rosenberg (20 likes, 7 reposts): "These are not serious people... these are the people that Anthony Albanese and Richard Marles have outsourced Australia's defence strategy to. #EndAUKUS." It is notable for sharply tying the AUKUS debate to government accountability and drawing the strongest criticism of defence policy in the set.
• gmf1979 (no engagement): Criticises the handling of the Sydney-area tunnel boring machines, citing bonuses and a costly contract buy-back. It is a rare example of a grounded, infrastructure-specific complaint in an otherwise ideological mix, though it has gained no traction.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and distrustful, with frustration aimed at media outlets, corporate donors, the major parties, and both federal and state governments (including the Queensland LNP and the Albanese government). Engagement is low overall, with most posts receiving fewer than five likes, and the conversation is dominated by activist and independent-leaning accounts. There is a clear undercurrent of anti-establishment sentiment and calls for reform, alongside a smaller number of informational or civic posts (council news feeds, local interest stories) that adopt a neutral tone. Some posts also contain partisan or inflammatory language, and a few point to foreign interference, including a warning about Russian-linked accounts posing as PHON supporters.

Most active: @decentral21.bsky.social (4 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (33 likes, 12 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Political violence and rhetoric: Dominant thread following the attack on independent MP Helen Haines and AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett's comments linking violent rhetoric (including Pauline Hanson's car-ramming video) to real attacks on politicians.
• Media bias and the Murdoch press: Repeated calls for a Murdoch Royal Commission, with users attacking The Australian and Murdoch media as drivers of division.
• One Nation's rise: Discussion of its polling (around 20% in Victoria), Queensland Premier Crisafulli ruling out working with it, and calls to deregister the party.
• NACC and integrity concerns: Michael West's piece on hopes for the National Anti-Corruption Commission being revived, alongside the Brethren tax-status debate.
• Climate, data centres and mining: Criticism of Rio Tinto (including the destroyed Aboriginal rock shelter), new coal mines, and AI data centres' environmental and energy costs.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @strangerous.bsky.social (109 likes, 45 reposts): Reposting Barrett's claim of a "direct correlation" between violent political cartoons and attacks on politicians is the most-engaged post in the set. It crystallised the day's central debate on whether political rhetoric is inciting violence.
• @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (53 likes, 35 reposts): West's article on the NACC's prospects is the top engagement among the posts about institutional accountability, marking a shift from the violence story toward governance.
• @debbienorthway.bsky.social (10 likes, 3 reposts): "My heart goes out to the people who had to explain to Helen Hayes what exactly happened to her" is a rare personal, empathetic note amid the partisan noise, referring to the attack on Haines.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is anxious, angry and deeply partisan, with a strong undercurrent of distrust toward the mainstream media and the Murdoch press in particular. Many posters explicitly call for civility ("turn the temperature down," "be nice"), yet the same threads are filled with insults and accusations aimed at the LNP, One Nation and conservative commentators, so the call for calm is itself contested. Concern about the US political situation and its spread to Australia runs through the conversation, and the Helen Haines attack has made political violence the day's most emotive issue. Engagement is modest overall, with most posts receiving few likes, and a sizeable share consists of bare hashtags or reposts rather than original commentary, suggesting an audience that is more reactive than deliberative.

Most active: @stormin68.bsky.social (12 posts) · Most engaged: @strangerous.bsky.social (109 likes, 45 reposts, 9 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Political violence, threats against MPs and media responsibility: Posts cite AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett on links between heated rhetoric and threats to MPs (especially women), with many blaming Murdoch-style "angertainment" and traditional media for polarisation.
• Integrity and anti-corruption bodies (NACC): Users call the National Anti-Corruption Commission a "useless" or "lame-duck" body after three years without guilty findings, alongside claims of Labor-electorate grant bias and a $6m golf club grant.
• Israel, Gaza and Albanese's foreign policy: Posts criticise Albanese for not confronting Trump or Netanyahu, with several framing Israel's conduct as genocide and Netanyahu's possible wartime election strategy as dangerous.
• Cost of living, housing and the RBA: Discussion covers RBA rate powers versus the ATO's tax tools, property taxation, poverty as "a design feature," and criticism of Governor Bullock.
• Victorian and Queensland state politics and the One Nation surge: Posts question how Victoria will handle One Nation holding the balance of power, and discuss Queensland and cannabis legalisation.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @pupfiction.bsky.social (22 likes, 9 reposts): "Great to see an admission by journalists that the news media is part of the problem, and are partly responsible for turning the temperature up." This is one of the most-engaged posts and reflects a rising theme: media accountability for political division, echoed by @mark-melbin's commentary on Insiders.
• @archedeyebrow.bsky.social (17 likes): A personal account of a Gladstone MP dismissing nuclear-siting research before losing his seat, illustrating voter frustration with ignored evidence and LNP positioning.
• @blairwilliams26.bsky.social (18 likes, 10 reposts): Quotes research that "social and economic exclusion often becomes civic exclusion – and civic exhaustion," a sharp explanation of why struggling Australians disengage from politics.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is frustrated, cynical and polarised. Many users express disillusionment with both Labor and the Coalition, with anger aimed at the NACC, the RBA, media outlets and perceived complicity over Israel and the US. Concern about political violence and threats to MPs runs through the feed, but so does sharp partisan mockery, such as posts about Trump, Peter Dutton and "AlboFAIL." Some users lament the tone of the platform itself, with one arguing that #auspol is dominated by "sanctimony" from urban progressives. Emergency-preparedness posts from @belindajones68 (storm and fire season tips) and an advocacy thread on migrant women's underemployment provide a more practical, non-partisan counterpoint. Overall, engagement is modest, with most posts receiving few or no likes, and the conversation is driven by a small number of high-engagement posts.

Most active: @belindajones68.bsky.social (9 posts) · Most engaged: @pupfiction.bsky.social (60 likes, 6 reposts, 5 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• One Nation's rise in Victoria: Posts cite a 20% Victorian poll and the Pakenham by-election, where Labor holds the seat by 0.39%, with voters "fed up with both sides."
• Snowy 2.0 cost blowout and secrecy: Michael West's piece on the rise from $2B to $25B, and a related post about a secret nuclear bunker, drew the highest engagement of the set.
• US politics and Australia's alliance: Simon Rosenberg's post questioning how Australia will manage an "erratic and dangerous" Trump was the most-liked post, and several others tie US far-right movements to Australian politics.
• Gaza and Israel: Posts criticise the Albanese government for not acting to stop Israel's actions in Gaza.
• Health and emergency services: Ben Carroll's $1.5B Victorian hospital pledge, a union claim that a man died waiting for an ambulance in Zeehan, and a nurse describing constant code alerts all point to pressure on the health system.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (94 likes, 29 reposts): "what is the Australian govt's risk management strategy for handling its close 'ally'?" This was the most-engaged post and frames US instability as a direct question for Canberra.
• Michael West (33 likes, 11 reposts): Promotes investigative reporting on Snowy 2.0's undisclosed contracts and government secrecy, a theme of accountability that resonated with users.
• Zeehan ambulance report (no engagement, but significant): Reports a man dying while waiting for an ambulance after the local crew was unavailable, with the nearest one 140km away. It is a concrete example of service cuts that many posts gesture at more abstractly.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is largely cynical and anxious. Users express distrust of both major parties, with calls to punish Labor and the Coalition, alarm at the rise of One Nation, and frustration with government secrecy and service failures. International concern, especially about Trump and Gaza, runs strongly through the feed. Engagement is low overall, and the sample includes promotional posts from minor parties and some spam-like hashtag lists, so it is a limited snapshot rather than a full read of public opinion.

Most active: @hudsoncartoons.bsky.social (3 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (94 likes, 29 reposts, 11 replies)