#auspol on Bluesky: Monday 26 October 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS scrutiny and calls to end it: Posts amplified by high engagement (one with 106 likes) focus on the independent AUKUS inquiry, its National Press Club report date of 4 November, and suppressed ALP conference debate.
• Victorian state election (November): Discussion centres on a Newspoll showing the Victorian Coalition ahead 55-45 with One Nation above 20% of first votes, plus Melbourne wholesale market privatisation and Fusion's infrastructure proposals.
• Cost of living, food insecurity and inequality: Posts cite 3.6 million households going hungry, calls for a national school breakfast program, and criticism of the government's economic record.
• Gaza, Palestine and Israel-related issues: Users highlight Gaza casualties, criticise the IHRA definition and Jillian Segal's role, and call for an end to genocide.
• Parliamentary Senate Estimates and Question Time: Belinda Jones's many posts list the day's Estimates hearings and sitting schedule, reflecting routine parliamentary monitoring.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @mrrexpatrick.bsky.social (104 likes, 36 reposts): "The Govt enters into $100B worth of contracts each year, all with confidentiality terms... If I win in the Full Federal Court next week, that'll all change." It is the most-engaged post in the set and centres on government contract transparency and the Snowy Hydro litigation.
• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (106 likes, 53 reposts): Quotes that ALP National Conference delegates were denied a debate on AUKUS and Palestine, and argues that "the independent inquiry will make clear why we must #EndAUKUS." It is the highest-engagement post and shows the AUKUS debate gaining traction on the left.
• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (40 likes, 21 reposts): "If Albanese wants to turn the temperature down, he must address the valid grievances of those he promised would not be left behind." It reflects a widely shared response to the government's calls for civility, framing it as a question of unmet promises.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly frustrated and critical, with strong distrust of both major parties. Many posts express disillusionment with Labor, particularly over AUKUS, Gaza, inequality and food insecurity, and some call for independents or the Greens. Several users reference rising political hostility, with some of the most-engaged posts defending "civility" and "de-escalation" against perceived complacency. Other posts are partisan, use inflammatory language, or are repetitive automated or cross-posted content, so the discussion is more fragmented and angry than constructive. Smaller positive notes appear around Victoria's proposed free abortion policy, Medicare bulk billing improvements, and the growing youth political engagement. Overall, the tone leans pessimistic and anti-establishment, with an underlying sense that the political system is failing ordinary Australians.

Most active: @robduncan.bsky.social (8 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (106 likes, 53 reposts, 6 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Helen Haines attack and parliamentary tributes: Dominant thread, with MPs honouring the independent MP after she was allegedly attacked outside her office, alongside calls for civility and criticism of partisan remarks during the tributes.
• AUKUS scrutiny: Doug Cameron posts promoting the public inquiry report due 4 November, plus critiques of the deal's sovereignty and cost implications.
• Housing, rents and cost of living: Recurring posts on housing affordability, rental stress, food insecurity (Foodbank's one-in-three figure) and poverty payments, many aimed at Labor.
• Victorian and NSW state politics: Newspoll showing Victorian Labor's primary vote down to 24%, Sustainable Australia campaign material, and union disputes with Fire Rescue Victoria.
• Brazil and Serbia election results: AAP and other news feeds shared Lula's fourth-term win and Vučić conceding defeat in Serbia.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @strangerous.bsky.social (91 likes, 30 reposts): Sarah Henderson's objection to $2M in Pre-COP media spending, undercut by Murray Watt's reminder of the roughly $9M APEC media spend under Howard. Notable for being the most-engaged post and for a sharp, fact-based partisan exchange.
• @strangerous.bsky.social (68 likes, 19 reposts): Zali Steggall praising Helen and Phil Haines for raising over $1M for Save the Children: "We have heard your words loud and clear, kindness over hate." Notable as the most-engaged post in the set, and it reflects the cross-party civility theme.
• @kimwingerei.bsky.social (AAP feed, 2 likes, 6 reposts): "Crossbencher signs civility pledge in honour of friend." Notable as a concrete response to the Haines attack and the wider debate on hostile political rhetoric.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is sombre and frustrated, with the Haines attack dominating a tone of grief and calls for decency, which many posters contrast with partisan sniping in parliament. Beneath that sits deep distrust of both major parties, especially on AUKUS, housing, poverty and corporate influence, with several posts questioning what Labor stands for and warning of the rise of One Nation. Engagement is modest for most posts, and a sizeable share of the feed is automated news reposting or hashtag spam, but the most-liked posts lean toward civility and accountability.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (11 posts) · Most engaged: @strangerous.bsky.social (91 likes, 30 reposts, 8 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Helen Haines attack and parliamentary tributes: Cross-party tributes to the independent MP after an alleged attack dominated the feed, with praise for the chamber's more respectful tone.
• Israel/Gaza and Australian foreign policy: Posts calling for BDS, condemning Labor and the LNP over Israel, and reacting to Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson's pledge to ban "globalise the intifada" recurred frequently.
• Victorian state election (November) and One Nation: Coverage focused on Jess Wilson's alleged Coalition arrangement with One Nation, the "RAT" bullet threat against minister Paul Edbrooke, and Lidia Thorpe's complaints about death threats on One Nation feeds.
• Robodebt-style income compliance debts and welfare: Critics accused Labor of reviving discredited debt recovery while large companies pay no tax, with calls for a six-year cap on recovery.
• Lula's Brazil election win and the global far right: Many posts celebrated Lula's defeat of Flávio Bolsonaro and linked it to hopes for Australian and Israeli politics.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @wheels002.bsky.social (12 likes, 4 reposts): "I just wish a journalist would question Tim Wilson about the behaviour of his campaign staff and volunteers at the last election." This was the most-liked post in the set and points to a specific accountability question that mainstream coverage has not pursued.
• @siriusstar3.bsky.social (10 likes, 5 reposts): The Robodebt-related post calls the new income-apportionment debt recovery "cruel & a moral failure" and urges a six-year cap. It is notable because it ties a current policy to the Royal Commission's legacy and draws high engagement.
• @paigeturner1853.bsky.social (6 likes, 2 reposts): Notes that Senators attended the House for the Haines tributes but Pauline Hanson did not. It stands out as a rare post that is both observational and clearly partisan, and it summarises how the event was received across the chamber.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is sharply polarised and largely adversarial, with a left-leaning majority attacking the Coalition, One Nation, and the Labor government from several directions. Posts criticising Labor are as common as those attacking the LNP and One Nation, and the Israel/Gaza theme often produces the angriest tone. Engagement is generally low, with most posts receiving zero to a few likes. The Helen Haines tributes brought a brief note of cross-party warmth and admiration, but this was quickly overshadowed by Victorian election anger, political violence concerns, and cynicism about career politicians. Many posts are aggregated news-feed links, which add volume without much discussion. Overall, the tone is cynical, frustrated, and distrustful of mainstream parties, with an undercurrent of anti-fascist framing.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (12 posts) · Most engaged: @wheels002.bsky.social (12 likes, 4 reposts, 3 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Political violence and rhetoric after the attack on Helen Haines: Posts link the Indi attack to heated rhetoric, a civility pledge, MPs' safety, and calls to hold figures like Pauline Hanson accountable.
• Aged care algorithm and Robodebt-style failures: The Ombudsman's report on the aged care algorithm, plus criticism of Minister Sam Rae and Mark Butler, drew strong reaction.
• Coalition costed policy cuts ($31bn): Commentary centres on proposed axing of renewables, EV subsidies, social housing and the home battery scheme, with ABC coverage criticised as uncritical.
• Minor-party and preference campaigning: Fusion, Greens and teal-aligned independents push "progressive first, Labor last resort" preference strategies, while others criticise Labor's record.
• Cost of living, housing and the AFL stadium: Users contrast a Tasmanian stadium spend with health funding, and discuss rental price falls, supermarket pricing and NDIS changes.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (79 likes, 43 reposts): Quotes a call for Jacinta Wilson to explain why her party won't rule out preference deals with One Nation, which has run Holocaust deniers. It is the highest-engagement post in the set and shows how the preference question is becoming a flashpoint.
• @johnnycsparkles.bsky.social: "If politicians want to turn down the temperature why are they bringing back Robodebt?" It links the debate on political violence to state-sanctioned harm against disadvantaged people, reframing the civility argument around government accountability.
• @nicknobody.bsky.social (25 likes, 13 reposts): "You can have a functional health system or an AFL bribery stadium, you can't afford both." A concise, widely shared framing of the spending-priorities argument.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is anxious, angry and distrustful. Posters are alarmed by political violence and rhetoric, the aged care algorithm failures, and the prospect of major Coalition cuts to climate and housing programs. Frustration with Labor is strong, with critics calling it an "LNP-style donations machine" and accusing it of aligning too closely with the US. The conversation is also fractured: progressive and left users push preference strategies and anticapitalist framing, while others focus on the far right, especially One Nation. Much of the volume comes from a small number of highly active accounts, and the set includes a lot of spam and unrelated hashtag trend posts, which dilute the political signal.

Most active: @robduncan.bsky.social (7 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (79 likes, 43 reposts, 0 replies)