#auspol on Bluesky: Monday 9 November 2026

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• AUKUS and Richard Marles: Strong engagement calling for an end to AUKUS and Marles' removal, led by the most-liked posts in the set (62 and 28 likes).
• Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal and the antisemitism royal commission: Criticism of Segal's conduct and her links to Yaron Finkelstein, plus Chris Sidoti's critique of the envoy's survey and calls for the royal commission to address all racism.
• Victorian state politics and the Coalition: Debate over the Coalition's pledge to scrap Victoria's treaty, concern about One Nation and the LNP, and Victorian dog racing.
• Climate, gas and COP31: Criticism of Chris Bowen and Labor over fossil fuel exports and lobbyists at COP31, plus a call to stop a gas-powered AI data centre build-out.
• Housing, cost of living and Centrelink debts: Concern over rents, homelessness, billionaire wealth, and the restart of collection of 147,000 frozen Centrelink debts.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @kentparkskeet.bsky.social (66 likes): "He still believes in the doctrine of his church, that women follow men... He's learned nothing." Among the most engaged posts, it reflects the renewed attention to Tony Abbott and the Gillard "misogyny" speech anniversary, with several related posts (e.g., "Get in the bin you grub") driving the gender-politics thread.
• @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social (34 likes): "Why do the banks have a stranglehold on buying Australian govt debt when it's taxpayers who provide the collateral?" The highest-engaging economic post, it raises a structural question about bank profits on public debt that cuts across partisan lines.
• @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (62 likes): "Without a national conversation, without government accountability... there is no social licence for #AUKUS." The top-engaged post in the set, it frames AUKUS as lacking democratic legitimacy and is the centrepiece of the day's defence criticism.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and combative, with progressive and left-leaning voices attacking the Albanese Government over AUKUS, fossil fuel exports, and a perceived failure to deliver structural change, while also targeting the Coalition, One Nation, and the LNP over Victorian policy and Abbott's legacy. Anger is most intense around the antisemitism envoy and Israel-related issues, where several posts are heated and some cross into accusations that go beyond the evidence. Frustration with major parties is widespread, with a recurring theme of voters losing trust, as shown by a poll cited in the feed (one in five trusting Albanese). Some posts are neutral or informational, such as parliamentary committee schedules and news feeds from AAP, but the dominant tone is distrustful, disillusioned and sharply partisan. Overall, the conversation is polarised, with little evidence of common ground.

Most active: @belindajones68.bsky.social (6 posts) · Most engaged: @kentparkskeet.bsky.social (66 likes, 16 reposts, 14 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Victorian state election and minor parties: Many posts urge Victorians to back the Greens and independents over the LNP/One Nation and the "duopoly," with the Vic election a recurring theme.
• One Nation scrutiny: Reports that a former adviser says One Nation sacked him after raising concerns about a rapist and underworld figures, plus claims the party is an "extremist" group, drew strong reaction.
• Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard's misogyny speech: Abbott's claim that the speech was an "unjustified attack" prompted a wave of criticism and mockery.
• AUKUS and US alliance: Concerns about a secret defence bill that would reportedly give foreign forces greater latitude, and wider opposition to AUKUS.
• Gaza, Israel and antisemitism policy: Posts critical of envoy Jillian Segal's proposed definitions and of Israel's conduct, alongside pro-Palestine calls for sanctions.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social (57 likes, 10 reposts): A #StopTheGenocide / #SanctionIsrael post, the highest-engagement post in the set, reflecting how strongly the Gaza issue drives engagement.
• @marketforces.org.au (18 likes, 7 reposts): Announces that ANZ has ruled out project finance for APA's Beetaloo pipelines, the fourth big bank to do so. It is a concrete, celebrated win for climate campaigners.
• @insnip.bsky.social: "Labor sources expect Andrew Hastie to replace Angus Taylor as opposition leader and be harder to beat." This is one of the few posts reporting a concrete leadership development, and it signals Labor is already planning for a Hastie-led opposition.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, cynical and distrustful, with frequent expressions of disillusionment with both Labor and the Coalition. Many posters describe a "duopoly" that serves corporate and US interests, and they are critical of Albanese, Abbott, One Nation and the AUKUS agreement. Activist and advocacy accounts (climate, animal welfare, Palestine, men's health) post hopeful calls to action and celebrate wins, but these are usually framed against a backdrop of frustration. Engagement is modest overall, with most posts receiving few or no likes, and the highest-engagement posts concentrated on Gaza, One Nation and Abbott. Several accounts post repetitively, which suggests a small, highly active group drives much of the volume.

Most active: @laborforus.bsky.social (11 posts) · Most engaged: @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social (57 likes, 10 reposts, 1 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Labor's Dutton appointment to the Australian War Memorial Council: Peter Dutton's three-year board seat, recommended by Matt Keogh, drew the most anger, with posts calling it a "kick in the guts" and a rehabilitation of a figure voters rejected.
• Data centres and social licence: Albanese's criticism of data-centre costs and Labor's fence-sitting drew commentary, alongside reports of a scrapped project after local backlash.
• Labor's left-flank defections and the Greens/Independents pitch: Multiple posts urged progressives to abandon Labor for the Greens or Independents over fossil fuel donations, Medicare and climate policy.
• Gas, fossil fuels and climate hypocrisy: Posts cited ABC reporting on new coal and gas approvals and ANZ ruling out the North to East Australia pipeline, a win for anti-gas campaigners.
• Gaza, Israel and AUKUS/US alignment: A recurring thread of criticism of Australia's stance on Israel, AUKUS and the Trump administration.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [angry-goddess.bsky.social] (36 likes, 12 reposts): "FFS @albomp.bsky.social what part of Labor remains in you? … Independents are looking mighty good?" This was the highest-engagement post and captures the progressive-base frustration driving the day's discourse.
• [rainbowregionmyles.bsky.social] (35 likes, 10 reposts): "Australians voted to get rid of Peter Dutton, so Labor gives the bastard a seat on the Australian War Memorial Council." It is the most-engaged post on the Dutton story and shows how the appointment crystallised anger.
• [twangmaker.bsky.social] (9 likes, 6 reposts): A direct comparison of Australia's handling of AI copyright for artists with Canada under Mark Carney. It links a policy dispute to international benchmarks and reflects a creative-sector concern gaining traction.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly hostile and cynical, with most criticism aimed at the Albanese Labor government from the left: over fossil fuels, the Dutton appointment, AUKUS, data centres and perceived donor influence. Right-leaning and Coalition commentary is minimal, though it appears in a few posts attacking Abbott and Angus Taylor. Engagement is thin overall, with most posts receiving few or no likes, and a large share is repetitive tagging by a single account (sabrinanotowar), so the volume overstates genuine conversation. Profanity and expressions of disillusionment are common, and the tone shifts between anger at Labor and tentative interest in Greens and Independents as alternatives. Much of the content is also news aggregation from AAP, Crikey and independent outlets rather than original commentary.

Most active: @sabrinanotowar.bsky.social (17 posts) · Most engaged: @angry-goddess.bsky.social (36 likes, 12 reposts, 6 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Peter Dutton's appointment to the War Memorial Council drew the most scorn, with many posts calling it "jobs for the boys" and a sign of Labor's poor judgement.
• AUKUS and undersea cable cuts, after a US embassy message linking the subs to cable protection was read as a veiled threat, drew heavy engagement (one post reached 116 likes).
• The Victorian election (28 November) dominated, with Coalition leads in polls, One Nation's rising visibility, and attacks on Jess Wilson and Labor.
• One Nation controversies, including Stuart Bonds' "demographic replacement" remarks and links to neo-Nazi and Family First figures, generated strong reactions.
• Israel lobby influence and Royal Commission calls, including a LinkedIn influence investigation (29 likes) and debate over antisemitism and racism, featured repeatedly.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• @peterwmurphy1 (116 likes, 50 reposts): "This post by the USA sounds like a threat: stay with #AUKUS or bad things could happen to you Australia." This was the highest-engagement post in the set and captured a widespread view that the US messaging on cable protection was coercive.
• @qldaah (34 likes, 19 reposts): Flagged One Nation candidate Stuart Bonds' comments on controlling women's family choices by religion and ethnicity, with links to Neo-Nazi Joel Davis and Lyle Shelton. It was one of the sharpest critiques of One Nation in the feed.
• @zem-australia (20 likes, 9 reposts): Argued that voters gave Albanese's government victories that have been "squandered," with vested interests taking control and poll numbers now slipping. It stood out as a centre-left critique from within the progressive camp rather than from the opposition.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly cynical and angry, with widespread distrust of both major parties, described as a "duopoly" delivering "jobs for the boys." Criticism comes from the left (Labor failures on climate, AUKUS, and appointments; Greens campaigning on fossil fuels) and the right-populist fringe (One Nation's rise). Much of the activity is driven by news-feed bots and hashtag spam, which inflate volume without adding much discussion. Among genuine posts, engagement clusters around anger at perceived US coercion, anti-One Nation sentiment, and frustration with Labor. Overall the tone is pessimistic and combative, with a sense that voters are disillusioned ahead of the Victorian poll.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (12 posts) · Most engaged: @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social (116 likes, 50 reposts, 45 replies)