#auspol on Bluesky: Friday 6 November 2026

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• One Nation and Pauline Hanson: Heavy discussion of the party's $3,000-a-head Sydney fundraiser requiring non-disclosure agreements, with many posts linking it to Hanson's High Court free-speech complaint.
• Jillian Segal and the Antisemitism/Special Envoy controversy: Calls to sack Segal over proposed Holocaust-focused school content and her commentary on minority issues, with some arguing it omits Palestinian history.
• Gaza, Israel and AUKUS: Sustained criticism of Labor's alignment with the US and Israel, including calls to end AUKUS and to sack Richard Marles.
• Housing, data centres and cost of living: Posts on the housing crisis, data centre development in suburbs, inflation, and rent control.
• Victorian and Queensland state politics: Victorian costings debate, the Liberal-National (LNP) toxicity narrative, and Queensland's cut to life-flight funding.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @qldaah.bsky.social (34 likes, 18 reposts): "Pauline Hanson complains all the way to the High Court that her implied freedom of speech has been impeded. Now she's gagging attendees of a cash-for-access event with non-disclosure agreements." The highest-engagement post, it crystallises the One Nation story as a hypocrisy narrative.
• @coalisdead.bsky.social (16 likes, 6 reposts): Challenges Labor to justify Segal's proposed Holocaust-studies curriculum without Arab history, covering Balfour, the Nakba and recent Gaza events. It typifies the most engaged strand of the Middle East policy debate.
• @suebarrett.bsky.social: Analyses Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson's claim that missing costings are "on the Labor government" as moral disengagement and political propaganda. Notable for applying a media-literacy lens rather than partisan framing.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and combative, with the most engaged posts attacking One Nation, Segal, Labor's foreign policy alignment and the major parties' handling of housing and cost of living. Left-leaning voices dominate the volume, with a strong undercurrent of distrust toward both major parties and frustration with the media, particularly the Guardian and ABC coverage. Some posts celebrate US midterm results as a rebuke to the far right, while others warn that One Nation's rise is a serious threat. Humour and sarcasm appear frequently, but the overall tone is one of anger and disillusionment rather than optimism. Note that the sample is small (78 posts), and many are repetitive or low-engagement, so the picture may be skewed toward a particular activist cohort.

Most active: @robduncan.bsky.social (6 posts) · Most engaged: @qldaah.bsky.social (34 likes, 18 reposts, 6 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS scrutiny: A public inquiry's findings, Chris Barrie calling AUKUS the "worst, riskiest and most costly" defence decision, and the Pentagon's reported push for an east-coast submarine base (Newcastle or Port Kembla) drove the most engagement.
• Jillian Segal and the antisemitism envoy: Many posts called for Albanese to sacks Segal, with critics saying she is unelected and overreaching into universities, the ABC, schools and visas.
• One Nation: Posts covered reports that the party requires NDAs from donors at a $3,000 Sydney fundraiser, plus scrutiny of its leader's past comments and a passport question.
• David Jones administration: AAP feed posts and commentary on its impact on staff, landlords, and small retailers appeared repeatedly.
• Israel/Gaza and Labor's stance: Posts accused the government of backing Israel and called for Albanese to take a firmer line.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (116 likes, 48 reposts): "It's official - the worst deal ever. AUKUS makes us a target for Chinese ICBMs, and we're paying record prices for it." This was the highest-engagement post in the set and framed the inquiry as a verdict on the deal, reinforcing the defence-cost narrative.

• @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social (79 likes, 15 reposts): "The trifecta I'd like to see: AUS PM Albanese sacks Jillian Segal." Pairing this with US midterm results and a Russell Brand conviction shows how the Segal demand is being folded into broader anti-establishment and accountability sentiment.

• @twangmaker.bsky.social (25 likes, 7 reposts): Posts on the Pentagon's east-coast base and a Tasmanian rainforest video (with Greens Senator David Shoebridge) show growing concern about US military footprint, land use, and data/airspace access, linking several threads (Palantir, rare earths, AUKUS).

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The tone is predominantly angry and frustrated, with a strong left and progressive lean. Many posts accuse Labor of being "spineless" or "gutless" and urge Albanese to stand up to the US, Israel, or donors, while some call for a leadership change. Criticism also reaches the Coalition, One Nation, and the Murdoch media. Anti-AUKUS, anti-Segal, and pro-Green or independent messaging stands out, and a fair share of the feed is low-engagement, repetitive content (automated AAP reposts and trending-hashtag bots), so the most-liked voices are better guides to mood than volume alone.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (116 likes, 48 reposts, 5 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS and Pine Gap/US bases: Repeated calls to scrap AUKUS (with posts calling the submarine program "not possible") and close Pine Gap, alongside opposition to US military presence in Australia.
• Jillian Segal and the Royal Commission: Heavy criticism of Segal's report targeting the ABC, SBS and universities, plus accusations of Zionist influence over government and calls for Albanese to act.
• Tasmanian tungsten mining and the Tarkine: Fears that US-linked Critica LTD will destroy rainforest for war-related tungsten, with #savethetarkine and #stopaukus framing.
• US midterms and Trump-era politics: Commentary on the 2026 midterm results, Murdoch, tech billionaires and the perceived spread of "Trumpism" into Australia.
• Cost of living, business and corporate accountability: Discussion of the RBA and recession fears, David Jones administration, Coles bonuses, card surcharges, billionaire tax avoidance and small-business regulation.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [jimpembroke.bsky.social]: "90 per cent of businesses that previously charged card surcharges haven't raised their prices." With 8 likes and 6 reposts, this was the most widely engaged evidence-based post, cutting against the surcharge narrative.
• [mingthemercyless.bsky.social]: Attacks Albanese's government as "corrupt 'donation' seeking grifters" and claims Labor "no longer exists," with 16 likes and 7 reposts. It is the clearest expression of progressive disillusionment with Labor in the thread.
• [simonrosenberg.bsky.social]: Quotes Osman Faruqi on the "massive political shift on Israel" in the US and calls for a more visionary Australian political environment. It drew the highest engagement in the set (40 likes, 12 reposts) and shows the Israel/Gaza debate resonating beyond activist circles.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and frustrated, with a strong left-progressive tilt. Much of the discussion targets the Albanese Labor government from the left, over AUKUS, Segal, donations, corporate tax and perceived Israel alignment, while several posts express open disillusionment with Labor. Anti-US sentiment is pronounced, centred on bases, Pine Gap, tungsten mining and Trump-era politics. Alongside this, a smaller but noticeable strand is anti-establishment and conspiratorial in tone, and some posts are openly partisan or abusive. Engagement is generally low, with most posts receiving zero to a few interactions. A minority of posts are measured policy analysis, notably those on AUKUS feasibility and RBA scrutiny. Overall, the conversation is angry, distrustful of major parties, and heavily hashtag-driven.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (12 posts) · Most engaged: @ajgardineresq.bsky.social (43 likes, 7 reposts, 10 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• US–Australia alignment and Trump criticism: Heavy traffic linking Trump, Pauline Hanson/One Nation, Jess Wilson and the Coalition to MAGA-style politics, plus the US midterm results being read as a warning for One Nation.
• AUKUS and submarine/nuclear concerns: Posts on US submarine basing, the crowdfunded AUKUS inquiry report, and calls to "Dump AUKUS" and "Dump Marles."
• Victorian election campaign: Early Spring Street jockeying, including the Liberal campaign bus crashing into a shop awning, union campaigns against Labor, and Jess Wilson's record and CPAC links.
• Israel, Gaza and Jillian Segal: Sustained criticism of Albanese platforming Segal, Zionist influence claims, and "genocide" framing.
• Housing, cost of living and tax fairness: #TaxTheRich, inequality, mortgage defaults, Qantas fare rises tied to fuel prices from the Middle East war, and the birth-rate and housing link.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [qldaah.bsky.social] (41 likes, 17 reposts): "One Nation denies the taking down of their page linking the policy of President Donald Trump to those of Pauline Hanson is due to mid-term results but due to the website 'undergoing an overhaul.'" This was the most-engaged post in the set and captures the wider theme of One Nation's distancing from Trump after the midterms.

• [jeremywalker.bsky.social] (13 likes, 6 reposts): A call to amplify NZ election-day voting, framed around the "AtlasNetwork" and "Trumpian" concerns. It is a rare cross-Tasman post and reflects an organised, repeated push, though it is more NZ-focused than Australian.

• [secularlobby.bsky.social] (10 likes, 9 reposts): Reports that Catholic provider Calvary will end IVF, elective abortions, assisted dying and gender reassignment procedures at two Newcastle hospitals it is buying, with NSW's health minister saying the state cannot intervene. It is the most substantive policy story in the set and drew strong engagement across reproductive and health-service concerns.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is overwhelmingly hostile and cynical, with the sharpest anger aimed at Trump, US influence over Australian politics, and the Coalition/One Nation's perceived alignment with him. Progressive and Greens-leaning voices dominate, pushing messages on AUKUS, Palestine, tax reform and housing, while criticism of Labor (particularly on AUKUS, Segal and "corporate bootlicking") is also common. Much of the feed is repetitive amplification and hashtag spam, including bot-like trending-tag posts, which dilutes genuine debate. Overall the tone is angry, distrustful of all major parties, and mobilised around the coming Victorian election.

Most active: @sabrinanotowar.bsky.social (7 posts) · Most engaged: @qldaah.bsky.social (41 likes, 17 reposts, 11 replies)