#auspol on Bluesky: Wednesday 28 October 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• One Nation's conduct and rise: Heavy criticism of One Nation, including the Bluey-themed colouring books at Mount Gambier, the Bluey "satire" row, and calls to put them last on ballots.
• Helen Haines attack and political climate: Cross-party condemnation after the independent MP was struck by a car, with posters linking it to rising political hostility.
• Israel, Gaza and university/business ties: Sustained criticism of Sydney University's chancellor and NAB chair speaking at a pro-Israel summit, plus the Special Envoy controversy and AUKUS critiques.
• Albanese government approval and Labor's standing: Posts citing falling approval (56% disapproval), a 26.6% primary vote claim, and cost-of-living and gas tax frustration.
• Parliamentary schedule and Senate Estimates: Routine but high-volume bot-style posts listing sitting times, committees and Question Time.
• Robodebt compensation and algorithmic decision-making: Criticism of slow Robodebt redress and of automated government decisions.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (56 likes, 29 reposts): "So many students, staff and alumni are disgusted by the university abandoning its commitment to human rights..." It is the most-engaged post in the set and shows the Gaza-related university story driving the strongest audience response.
• Lucy Ham (44 likes, 21 reposts): "Business Councils... are the last century's functional Sith Lords." It is among the most engaged posts and reflects a broader left-leaning critique of business lobby groups, tied to Victorian "Spring St" politics.
• Ant Farmer (27 likes, 10 reposts): On the ABC only now threatening legal action over Hanson's use of Bluey, arguing the media gave One Nation "a soft run with free publicity for years." It captures the media-criticism thread running through the conversation.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, cynical and oppositional, with a left-leaning, progressive tilt. Much of the discussion targets One Nation as a far-right threat, with frequent calls to preference them last, and criticises the Albanese government from the left over Gaza, AUKUS, gas and fossil fuels, and cost of living. Business councils, billionaires, the media and the major parties are repeatedly framed as serving elite interests. Alongside the outrage there is some dry humour and a few reflective pieces, but little constructive policy debate. A notable share of the volume comes from routine parliamentary and estimates listings, and several posts are cross-posted from Mastodon or appear to be automated, so the engagement base is narrower than the post count suggests.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (9 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (56 likes, 29 reposts, 3 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Israel and Netanyahu: Heavy discussion of the Israeli election results, calls for war crimes accountability, and criticism of Australian politicians' stance on Israel and the Jillian Segal appointment.
• One Nation and Pauline Hanson: Sustained criticism over a colouring book depicting Bluey held at knifepoint, Hanson's handling of media questions about cartoons, and polling showing voters don't trust the party to govern.
• Interest rates and cost of living: AAP-shared reporting on hot inflation pressuring the RBA toward a Melbourne Cup day hike, plus debate over whether rate rises are driving retail and fuel price increases.
• Labor's credibility and the Albanese government: Frustration with a Centrelink/JobSeeker policy decision, claims Labor has moved right, and Essential poll readings showing Albanese still preferred as PM.
• Data centres, AI and algorithmic decision-making: Calls for renewable-only data centres, concerns about AI-enabled misinformation, and criticism of automated aged care assessments.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @kentparkskeet (54 likes, 21 reposts): "Our ABC rewriting Business Council press releases again, must be an election approaching." This was the highest-engagement post, reflecting a widely shared view that public broadcasting is amplifying business and Liberal-aligned messaging ahead of the Victorian election.
• @ajgardineresq (10 likes, 3 reposts): A relatable post about the difficulty of dealing with government agencies, NGOs or businesses "operating on a shoestring." It stood out as a non-partisan, practical complaint that drew broad engagement.
• @qldaah (11 likes, 7 reposts): Promotion of "Clarify," a tool built by the partner of Labor MP Jess Teesdale to track hateful online comments. It was notable for focusing on the constructive response to the online abuse that many posters describe.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, distrustful and polarised. Much of the conversation is hostile toward One Nation, the Coalition and the Albanese Labor government, with a strong left-leaning and pro-Palestinian current that frames Israel's conduct as genocide and accuses Australian politicians of complicity. Anger is also directed at media outlets, which posters accuse of bias or of giving One Nation too much or too little coverage. Cost of living, housing and welfare cuts generate frustration and cynicism about whether any major party represents ordinary voters. Some posts are more measured, such as the analytical comments on polling and multinational tax, but the dominant tone is combative and despairing, with frequent use of insults and hashtags like #auspol used to signal outrage. Engagement overall is low, with most posts receiving few or no likes, suggesting a fragmented, high-volume feed rather than a single dominant conversation.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @kentparkskeet.bsky.social (54 likes, 21 reposts, 10 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Cost of living and inflation: Posts cluster around the 4.3% inflation print, RBA rate-hike odds ahead of the 3 November decision, and the #RaiseTheRate campaign for JobSeeker, with some Greens-aligned critics framing the $21 increase as insufficient.
• Senate and Greens politics, including David Shoebridge's National Press Club address: His speech on human rights, peace and accountability drew strong engagement, with supporters praising it and critics attacking it as sledging.
• Labor leadership and Albanese's record: Criticism of PM Albanese over Robodebt-linked appointments, gambling-industry donations, the AUKUS stance, and tax on gas and fossil fuels runs through many posts.
• Climate and fossil fuels: Posts highlight warming-related deaths, data-centre emissions, fuel tax refunds to BHP, and a renewables-powered steel mill.
• Israel/Gaza and the Segal controversy: Several posts attack Israel, Zionism and Labor's ties to pro-Israel figures, reflecting a sharply polarised strand of the conversation.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (40 likes, 17 reposts): "Hey @albomp.bsky.social - you may have misinterpreted the demand to #RaiseTheRate." This was the most-engaged post in the set and a concise expression of the wider cost-of-living push against the government, showing that the JobSeeker campaign has traction beyond activist circles.
• @siriusstar3.bsky.social (17 likes, 6 reposts): "Let's annihilate the duopoly at the next election, because we deserve better." Endorsing a speech and calling for an independent or minor-party surge, this reflects the growing appetite for alternatives to Labor and the Coalition. The Roy Morgan poll posted nearby (ALP 26%, LNP 23.5%, One Nation 22.5%) gives that sentiment some context.
• @mojalloh.bsky.social (1 like, 1 repost): Reports that Helen Haines is in hospital after a deliberate attack outside her office, alongside roughly 800 security complaints from federal MPs in six months. Low engagement, but it is the most serious incident in the set and it prompted a rare call for civility across the political divide.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and disillusioned, with left-leaning voices making up most of the volume. Frustration is directed mainly at the Albanese Labor government over cost of living, perceived donor influence, and climate and foreign-policy positions, while the Coalition, One Nation and News Corp draw mockery and hostility. The tone is often sarcastic, and some posts are abusive or sectarian, particularly around Israel and Labor figures. Constructive engagement exists, notably around the #RaiseTheRate campaign, the Tasmanian conversion-practices bill, and calls for a stronger independent presence in parliament. Much of the feed is also low-substance: bare hashtags, bot-like trending-tag posts, and US-focused content tagged #auspol, which dilute the genuine Australian political discussion in this sample.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (40 likes, 17 reposts, 1 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Interest rates and inflation: Heavy AAP-syndicated coverage and commentary on a likely November RBA rate hike after "ugly" inflation data, with core inflation at 3.6%, drives much of the volume.
• #RaiseTheRate / welfare and Newstart-style payments: Frequent posts argue the JobSeeker rate is inadequate amid rent and power costs, with several high-engagement posts.
• Greens' National Press Club address (David Shoebridge): A major spike of commentary, with supporters praising the "99%" framing and critics and journalists scrutinising it.
• One Nation and the Bluey colouring book: The ABC's demand for removal of an unauthorised Bluey depiction in One Nation material generated strong engagement and concern about political violence in children's content.
• Israel/Palestine, the Segal antisemitism envoy, and ABC coverage: A recurring cluster of posts criticising the envoy's role and cost and alleging ABC bias, with some strongly polarised language.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [qldaah.bsky.social] (28 likes, 14 reposts): "The ABC is concerned about the unauthorised depiction of Bluey in Pauline Hanson Please Explain..." This is one of the most-engaged posts and captures the Bluey controversy, which is an example of a mainstream broadcaster intervening against a party's political material.
• [coalisdead.bsky.social] (15 likes, 4 reposts): "At every turn, this government shows no respect for the poorest demographics... The fault lies singularly at @albomp.bsky.social's feet." It is a representative example of the cost-of-living frustration driving the conversation, and it was shared through a long-form Substack piece.
• [shartymcscrote.bsky.social] (14 likes, 7 reposts): A first-person account of living on the JobSeeker payment ("I get to eat noodles") that illustrates the human stakes behind the #RaiseTheRate debate and shows the issue's personal reach.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and frustrated, with left-leaning voices dominating engagement. Cost-of-living pressure, anger at the Albanese government over welfare rates and perceived priorities (such as defence spending and the Segal envoy's cost), and distrust of major media (particularly the ABC) run through most posts. Support for the Greens is vocal and enthusiastic, while One Nation draws sharp condemnation, especially over the Bluey material. A notable share of the feed is also non-political spam or hashtag-trend bot posts, and many AAP-syndicated news items appear repeatedly, so the organic political conversation is smaller than the raw post count suggests.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (19 posts) · Most engaged: @michellesuiter.bsky.social (39 likes, 16 reposts, 4 replies)