#auspol on Bluesky: Monday 2 November 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Israel/Gaza and AUKUS criticism: Frequent posts link Labor's stance on Israel and AUKUS to a perceived loss of progressive support, with the highest-engagement post (Simon Rosenberg, ~35 likes) calling AUKUS "far worse than useless."
• Mark Butler as Albanese's successor: Several posts claim Butler is being groomed as the next PM, with critics framing him as neoliberal and influenced by pro-Israel lobbying.
• Robodebt and the NDIS/aged-care automated assessment tools: Rick Morton's reporting on the flawed new NDIS assessment tool, shared by multiple accounts, is drawing comparisons to Robodebt.
• Housing prices, interest rates and the cost of living: Posts cover falling capital-city home values, Westpac's profit and rate warnings, and whether falling house prices are good or bad for Australians.
• One Nation's rise and the Nationals/Canavan: Users respond to One Nation's polling strength, Matt Canavan's lower-house move, and the Victorian state election.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Simon Rosenberg (19 likes, 9 reposts), on Michael Pascoe's column: "stops promising 1965 and starts arguing about 2035. Who owns the housing..." Notable for its engagement and for framing a broad left-leaning policy agenda around inequality and housing.
• @kentparkskeet (19 likes): "Anyone who thinks they're voting for change by voting One Nation is full of shit." Notable as one of the most liked posts, and it captures a sharp anti-One Nation sentiment.
• Billjondoyle (2 likes, 1 repost): "you guys are gonna go straight from 'unprecedented mandate' to 'unprecedented loss of mandate' all for f*ing israel and AUKUS." Notable as a clear example of Labor-left frustration, showing the Israel and AUKUS issues as a potential threat to the government's mandate.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and frustrated, with much of the discussion coming from left-leaning or progressive accounts. Criticism is aimed at the Albanese government over Israel, AUKUS, the NDIS and aged-care tools, and what is seen as neoliberal economic policy, while the far right, including One Nation and the Coalition, also draws disdain. Some posts are angry or hyperbolic, with words like "genocide," "fascist" and "Mossad Minns" appearing, while others are wry or mocking, as in responses to the ABC's framing of falling house prices. Many posts are also repeated feed items from AAP and Indymedia rather than original commentary, and the volume is modest, suggesting a fairly niche and engaged audience.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (8 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (35 likes, 13 reposts, 2 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Matt Canavan's move to contest Capricornia against One Nation's James Ashby, drawing repeated commentary on Nationals' weak polling and the LNP-One Nation rivalry in Queensland.
• The Zionist lobby, the Segal report and Israel-related influence debates, with multiple posts alleging foreign interference and attacks on the Voice-era institutions.
• Cost of living, housing affordability and tax reform, including calls to keep the GST unchanged, curb investor purchases and cap BHP's fuel tax refunds.
• Labor's poll slump and "savings" debate, covering the Newspoll results, sliding approval, NDIS and home care cuts, and the Butler portfolio controversy.
• Trump, AUKUS and the US alliance, with posts questioning Australia's security reliance on Washington and warning about US tech regulation pressure.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [lucyham.bsky.social] (26 likes, 20 reposts), "For those intrigued by the Australian Right's obsession with Israel..." This was the highest-engagement post in the set, linking to a long-form analysis of Israel-focused advocacy on the right, and it reflects how the Israel debate dominated engagement.
• [coalisdead.bsky.social] (17 likes, 13 reposts), "Monetised mass theft #auspol," linking to a Guardian piece. It was the most-shared post and captures a broader left-leaning frame of wealth extraction and inequality.
• [ajaanmark.bsky.social] (10 likes, 3 reposts), "The thing about Hanson is she folds under pressure and retreats from a challenge. Canavan knows that." It is a pointed read on the Capricornia contest and shows how the One Nation vs Nationals story is being framed as a personality battle.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, cynical and distrustful. Posters express deep disillusionment with major parties, citing falling trust in federal politicians (reported at 30.5%), Labor's slipping polls and perceived capitulation on housing, tax and foreign policy. Left-leaning and independent voices dominate, criticising Labor from the left and attacking the Coalition, One Nation and the Murdoch press, while far-right and anti-immigration rhetoric, including a report of an alleged Nazi salute at a protest, draws alarm. Several posts are promotional (Sustainable Australia, Fusion Party, petitions) or are simply news relays from AAP, ABC and Guardian feeds, and engagement overall is low, with most posts receiving fewer than five likes. A recurring thread of American-style polarisation and fears of fascism runs through the conversation, alongside a general sense that the system serves the wealthy.

Most active: @jimpembroke.bsky.social (7 posts) · Most engaged: @lucyham.bsky.social (26 likes, 20 reposts, 3 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Matt Canavan's move to the House of Representatives for Capricornia: Multiple posts discuss the Nationals leader's lower-house bid, One Nation's Ashby withdrawing, and speculation about the Nationals' electoral future.
• Housing prices and mortgage stress: Posters react to falling house values, rate hikes, and media "dramatic fall" framing, with debate over who benefits and whether rates and insurance will follow.
• Jillian Segal's IHRA report and Israel-related debate: Strong engagement around the Special Envoy's report, with Jeff Sparrow's critique and accusations of foreign influence and lobbying.
• One Nation controversies: Criticism of the party's conduct and policies, including a viral video (vanbadham) and claims about its misogyny and electoral prospects.
• Horse racing and Melbourne Cup opposition: Animal Justice Party campaigns ("Nup to the Cup") and related petitions drew steady engagement.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (98 likes, 44 reposts): Responding to Segal's report, the post calls it a "dangerous zealot" using "taxpayer-funded office to spread her divisive fact-free bile on behalf of a foreign power." It was the highest-engagement post in the set and anchors the Israel/antisemitism-report debate.
• @vanbadham (23 likes, 14 reposts): A creator promising to "hold that wretched party to account" over One Nation's conduct. It was the top-engaged post on One Nation and signals ongoing content-driven scrutiny of minor parties.
• @qldaah (11 likes, 7 reposts): A witty jab at Canavan's look and the Capricornia bid ("Will Capricornia be the hill he politically dies on?"). It shows how the seat contest is becoming a focal point for commentary.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is largely critical and polarised. Left-leaning and progressive posters dominate, attacking the Albanese government for inaction, the LNP and Nationals for political manoeuvring, One Nation for extremism, and Murdoch media for coverage of housing and China. Frustration with housing affordability, media "rage farming," and perceived Labor timidity on issues like AUKUS, climate and Greens-aligned policy runs through many posts. Engagement is low overall, with most posts receiving few likes, and a substantial share are automated AAP news reposts or hashtag spam, which dilutes the genuine conversation. Tone ranges from earnest policy advocacy to sarcasm and insults, with little evidence of cross-partisan dialogue.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (8 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (98 likes, 44 reposts, 1 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Jillian Segal's antisemitism report and the Special Envoy role: Heavy criticism from Greens-aligned and progressive voices, who call it a Trumpian threat to free speech and question the role itself (Crikey coverage, Sparrow piece, calls for abolition).
• Cost of living, interest rates and housing: RBA rate-hike expectations, falling home values, the poll slump for Labor, and calls to raise Newstart/JobSeeker and tackle negative gearing and land banking.
• Rinehart, tax and the far right: Gina Rinehart's tax complaints, the Hanson/Rinehart/Tommy Robinson links, and the ONP's Capricornia push, with Matt Canavan switching to the lower house.
• Melbourne Cup and animal welfare: Campaigns against horse racing and gambling, alongside Victorian dingo advocacy, with lighter satirical engagement.
• AUKUS, Israel and Palestine: Criticism of Albanese's handling of Israel, Bunnings executive comments on Israel, and the UK PM's visit and backpacker scheme.

1. NOTABLE POSTS

• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (64 likes, 22 reposts): Links Pauline Hanson's appearance on Tommy Robinson's podcast to Gina Rinehart's reported push to give islands to Israelis and Elon Musk. It is the most-engaged post in the set and typifies the thread linking the far right, mining wealth and Israel.
• @alexwodak.bsky.social (20 likes): "Jillian Segal AO would say this is just Jews being antisemitic. I'd say this is Jews following Jewish ethical principles..." A notable intra-Jewish critique of Israel's conduct that pushes back on the Segal framing from within the community.
• @qldaah.bsky.social (15 likes, 10 reposts): Challenges Rinehart's tax complaint by pointing out that she compares one year's profit against ten years of tax. It is a fact-checking post that gained traction and shows the audience rewarding evidence-based rebuttals.

1. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is frustrated, cynical and combative. Progressive and left-leaning voices dominate, targeting the Albanese government from the left over housing, welfare rates, Israel and AUKUS, while also attacking the Coalition, One Nation and billionaire influence. Economic anxiety runs through many posts, with people feeling squeezed by rates and power prices and sceptical of both major parties ("duopoly" framing recurs). Much of the volume is bot-like hashtag spam or aggregator feeds (AAP and Reddit reposts, trending-tag bots), so the genuine conversation is smaller than the post count suggests. Humour and sarcasm appear, mostly aimed at Pauline Hanson, Rinehart and the Melbourne Cup, but the overall tone is one of distrust toward political and corporate elites.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (12 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (64 likes, 22 reposts, 1 replies)