#auspol on Bluesky: Thursday 29 October 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Inflation and cost of living: Andrew Hastie's "inflation, the invisible tax" RN Breakfast pitch, with critics arguing that cutting spending would hurt health, education and welfare, drew the most engagement, alongside calls for fuel excise relief and an RBA-related welfare debate.
• Israel, Gaza and AUKUS: Posts calling for sanctions and ambassador expulsions, the "shared values" comparison with Trump's America and Netanyahu's Israel, and the upcoming National Press Club AUKUS inquiry findings all featured prominently.
• Media bias and the ABC: Complaints that the ABC has ceded political news to Murdoch and Channel 9, plus a Liberal MP's swearing incident and the Crikey piece on civility, pointed to ongoing distrust of mainstream media.
• Corporate influence and the $7B university merger: Michael West's Deloitte "magic pudding" critique and the Golden Beach gas approval framed policy as serving corporate profit.
• Aged care, debt recovery and Robodebt 2.0 fears: Concerns over for-profit aged care and aggressive debt recovery drew criticism of government welfare settings.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [simonrosenberg.bsky.social] (34 likes, 10 reposts): "what difference it would make to fiscal and monetary policy if all RBA Board members and all of Albanese's cabinet ministers were forced to survive on Jobseeker for a few months?" This was the most-engaged post in the set and typifies the cost-of-living frustration driving the conversation.

• [michaelwestbiz.bsky.social] (25 likes, 16 reposts): The critique of Deloitte's "creative accounting" in the $7B "magic pudding" uni merger, repeated in two posts, was among the strongest-performing analytical content, showing appetite for detailed scrutiny of public spending.

• [twangmaker.bsky.social] (10 likes, 3 reposts): The claim that One Nation is distributing racist stickers attacking Senator Lidia Thorpe, tied to Gina Rinehart funding, reflects growing attention to far-right campaigning ahead of state and federal contests.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and frustrated, with left-leaning voices dominating the discussion. Cost-of-living pressures, perceived corporate capture of policy, and disappointment with the Albanese government's handling of the NACC, gas and Israel policy recur throughout. Anger is directed at both the Coalition (Hastie's austerity framing) and Labor (from the left), while far-right parties such as One Nation are viewed with alarm. Engagement is generally low, with most posts receiving few or no likes, and a significant share of the volume comes from repetitive hashtag-heavy posts, including a cluster of near-identical posts from one account, which suggests the conversation is more fragmented and less organic than the raw post count implies.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (34 likes, 10 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• One Nation and Pauline Hanson: The most frequent theme, with critics attacking the party's divisiveness and its funding, and linking it to Gina Rinehart after last week's attack on Independent Helen Haines.
• Fuel prices and energy security: Posts circulate a CREA analysis claiming Australians paid $546 more for fuel than usual, alongside warnings that refining capacity has fallen 70% since 2012 and calls to end mining fuel subsidies.
• Greens and the Victorian election: Supporters promote the Greens and David Shoebridge's speech, while a Politico piece on Labor's $1.3M campaign against Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates drives Greens recruitment.
• Gaza, Israel and AUKUS: Users call for an end to arms supply to Israel, oppose AUKUS and nuclear-powered submarines, and criticise major parties' positions on the Middle East.
• Cost of living and housing: Posts highlight inflation pressure on households, a tight jobs market, and calls for housing prices to fall.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [twitter-exile.bsky.social] (repeated across several accounts): "Max Chandler-Mather got under the Prime Minister's skin. Then Labor spent $1.3M to defeat him." This is one of the most widely reposted items, and it frames a Labor-Greens rivalry as a significant political story.
• [kelanoa.bsky.social] (11 likes, 5 reposts): "Maybe they should stop the massive fuel subsidies to mining which costs taxpayers over $10 billion/y." This has the highest engagement in the set and connects the fuel-price debate to fiscal policy.
• [felft.bsky.social] (7 likes, 3 reposts): On Channel 9 hosting a Victorian state debate with Labor, Liberal and One Nation but not the Greens: "Tells you everything." It reflects a recurring grievance about minor-party exclusion from mainstream media.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is frustrated and combative, with most engagement coming from left-leaning and progressive accounts. Anger is directed at One Nation, the Coalition, Labor's handling of Albanese, and Israel-related policy, while cost-of-living anxiety runs through many posts. The Greens are promoted heavily as an alternative, and distrust of mainstream media is common. Many posts are low-engagement, with most receiving 0–5 likes, and the set includes repetitive promotional content (such as Fusion Party posts and automated news reposts). The discussion is therefore loud within its own community but limited in reach over this three-hour window.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (4 posts) · Most engaged: @kelanoa.bsky.social (11 likes, 5 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS and US nuclear submarines: Debate over whether US subs in Australian waters carry nuclear weapons, with Greens senator David Shoebridge pressing the government after the US "can't confirm or deny" stance, alongside broader criticism of the deal and a reported Chinese missile test concern.
• Corporate accountability and KPMG/ASIC: Senator Barbara Pocock's grilling of ASIC over the KPMG data leak scandal, plus a corporate watchdog probe into the failed $44b Firmus float.
• Gaza, Israel and the UN report: Repeated posts on the UN report on Israel's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank, and calls for accountability for Australian citizens in the IDF.
• Cost of living and fuel prices: ABS data showing fuel up almost 24% over the year, with posts on inflation, profiteering, supermarket pricing and the RBA.
• Trade and the EU deal: The PM's "nativist politics" attack on opponents blocking the Australia-EU free trade deal, which needs Coalition or Greens support to pass.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @strangerous.bsky.social (127 likes, 44 reposts): Pocock's exchange with ASIC over KPMG, where ASIC said "we're not in a position to say." This was the most engaged post in the set and captures a broader frustration with regulators' lack of transparency.
• @strangerous.bsky.social (58 likes, 31 reposts): Shoebridge's question on whether US subs carry nuclear weapons, met with "we aren't allowed to actually know." It drew strong engagement and is the defining AUKUS framing of the window.
• @jimpembroke.bsky.social (multiple posts): A thoughtful counterpoint to the left-right "pincer" framing, arguing that reforms like CGT and negative gearing changes are politically hard and that incremental progress is being undermined from both sides. It stood out for its nuance against a largely polarised feed.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry and distrustful, with a strong undercurrent of cynicism toward both major parties. Posts attack Labor over fossil fuels, AUKUS, Israel policy and the cost of living, while others target the Coalition, One Nation and the Greens. Many posts are partisan, sarcastic or inflammatory, and some use heated language, such as "Zionist parliament" or "fascist-Zionism." Frustration with secrecy (on US subs and corporate regulators) and with affordability runs through the feed. The most engaged content reflects this anger at institutions rather than enthusiasm for any party. A small number of posts offer measured analysis, but they are outnumbered by partisan rhetoric and generally low engagement, so the conversation is loud but fragmented.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (6 posts) · Most engaged: @strangerous.bsky.social (127 likes, 44 reposts, 9 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• One Nation and Pauline Hanson: Heavy criticism of the party, from its colouring-book controversy to its ties with Tommy Robinson, its media platforming (Afternoon Briefing, Farley's cartoons), and its perceived hate-driven campaigning.
• Marrickville golf club grant and "Sewagegate": Albanese's misstatement about a $6M federal grant, with critics linking community grant programs to "soft corruption" and calling for reform.
• AUKUS, US nuclear subs and defence ties: Left-leaning users are pushing to scrap AUKUS, object to US nuclear submarine access, and question Israel-related defence and diplomatic links.
• Energy policy and gas export tax: Debate over renewables costs in South Australia, the Cheaper Home Batteries program, the gas export tax, and whether baseload power is still needed.
• Rinehart and the Coalition-adjacent media ecosystem: Users attack Gina Rinehart-funded campaigns, the Newscorp funding question, and the Coalition's stance on climate.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @peterwmurphy1 (28 likes, 8 reposts): "If Pauline Hanson IS a champion of free speech and political satire... I look forward to One Nation's animation mocking the greed and selfishness of Gina Rinehart." This is the highest-engagement post in the set and a sharp rhetorical challenge that captures the day's mood about One Nation's hypocrisy on free speech.
• @beckjoinyourunion (11 likes, 4 reposts): On a minister who skips or sends a deputy to CHOGM: "If he goes to CHOGM, he shouldn't have... If no one goes, he's irresponsible and should be sacked." Notable for its accessible, workplace-framed critique that cuts across partisan lines.
• @qldaah (9 likes, 5 reposts): Reporting that Hanson denies responsibility for the One Nation Colouring Book, noting the party posted her holding one at the Ekka. It's a concrete, sourced item that drove much of the One Nation discussion.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The tone is predominantly critical and combative, with most engagement directed at the government's failures (grants, defence alignment, energy) and at One Nation and Rinehart-linked media. Left-leaning and progressive voices dominate, frequently using sardonic language and hashtags like #DUMPMARLES and #EndAUKUS, while frustration with Labor is also visible from its own supporters (e.g., calls for Ed Husic's return to Cabinet and criticism of Labor's pace on reform). Opposing views appear mainly as rebuttals, such as the South Australian energy defence and the baseload power argument. Much of the feed is low-engagement, with many posts being bot-like news feeds (AAP, ASX updates) or repeated hashtag spam, so the discussion is more an angry, fragmented commentary than a unified debate.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social (28 likes, 8 reposts, 1 replies)