#auspol on Bluesky: Thursday 12 November 2026

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Climate policy and COP31 criticism: Albanese is attacked for hypocrisy after a UN chief's rebuke of Australia's climate action, with fossil fuel donations and coal/gas exports cited as evidence.
• Israel, Gaza and Future Fund investments: Posts call for BDS, criticise the Future Fund's Israeli holdings, and accuse Labor of complicity, alongside the newly introduced Red Lines Omnibus Bill on defence supplies and trade linked to illegal settlements.
• One Nation's finances and conduct: Reports on Pauline Hanson's party include a missing aircraft sold with proceeds allegedly going to national director James Ashby, and candidates paying their own campaign costs.
• Government transparency and national security: Simon Rosenberg's widely shared post (38 likes, 22 reposts) criticises Labor and Coalition secrecy and erosion of rights, with calls to end AUKUS.
• Victorian election and candidate controversies: The Liberals dumped Williamstown candidate Paul Lindemann over offensive comments about Indigenous Australians, and independents are being pitched as alternatives to One Nation.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [coalisdead.bsky.social] (21 likes, 8 reposts): "The UN chief a calls out Australia's lack of 'climate action' the day after Anthony Albanese said he was 'proud to be a leader on climate action'." This was the most-engaged post in the set and captures the dominant frame of government hypocrisy on climate.

• [rainbowregionmyles.bsky.social] (15 likes, 8 reposts): "Aboriginal kids are sent to court at nearly twice the rate of non-Indigenous kids for similar offences." A rare non-partisan-attack post with high engagement, it shifts attention to Indigenous justice and cuts across the day's more partisan discussion.

• [belindajones68.bsky.social] (2 likes): A parliamentary-schedule post noting Parliament is not sitting Thursday, with four committee hearings and the next sitting on 16 November. It is the most useful factual post in the set and shows the day's policy agenda is mostly committee-level.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is largely angry, cynical and disillusioned, with a strong left-leaning tilt directed at the Albanese government over climate, fossil fuel donations, Israel and secrecy, and with One Nation treated as a corrupt and opportunistic force. Engagement is low for most posts, and many are bare hashtag or link posts, but the high-engagement items share a tone of betrayal and "business as usual" resignation. A significant minority of posts are repetitive or spammy (repeated hashtag-only posts and cross-posted feeds from a few accounts), which inflates volume relative to genuine discussion. Some posts also use strongly charged language, including accusations of genocide, fascism and corruption, that reflects the intensity of the discourse rather than measured analysis.

Most active: @winkypop.bsky.social (15 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (38 likes, 22 reposts, 1 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Victorian and NSW state politics/One Nation: Heavy chatter about One Nation's candidates, Pauline Hanson, Gina Rinehart's alleged backing, and the #VicVotes and #SpringSt campaign, including the One Nation plane story.
• Israel, Gaza and Labor: Recurring criticism of Labor's stance on Israel, arms and sanctions, often framed as complicity in genocide.
• Climate and fossil fuels: Calls to end new coal and gas approvals, criticism of Albanese at COP31, and the FOI battle over climate-related national security documents.
• Corporate power and cost of living: Threads on the CBA ASIC lawsuit over secret fees, Qantas corporate welfare, housing prices, negative gearing and the mortgage-stress debate.
• Labor-aligned and union corruption allegations: Royal commission testimony on the assault of a CFMEU official and alleged links to Mick Gatto.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [mrrexpatrick.bsky.social] (118 likes, 54 reposts): On a three-year FOI fight with the Department of Defence, withholding 15 documents on climate change security analysis. It is the most engaged post in the set and links climate policy to national security transparency.
• [siriusstar3.bsky.social] (14 likes, 7 reposts): "anthony conman 'proud to be a leader on climate action'" — a sharp rebuttal of Albanese's COP31 framing, calling for an end to all fossil fuel extraction. It is representative of the largest climate-critical thread.
• [peggysanders.bsky.social] (quoting ACF's Adam Bandt): "Australia is getting repeatedly called out for opening new coal and gas mines." It captures the international criticism of Australia's fossil fuel expansion, bringing in an authoritative voice from outside the major parties.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The tone is predominantly angry and distrustful, with a strong left and progressive lean. Posters are critical of both major parties, particularly Labor over fossil fuels, Israel and perceived corporate capture. Much of the discussion is about the power of billionaires, media and corporations, with One Nation and Gina Rinehart's involvement in the Victorian campaign attracting mockery and alarm. A smaller set of posts is neutral and informational, mostly AAP and news links. Some posts are low-engagement and cynical. Overall, the mood is one of frustration with political leadership, rather than enthusiasm for any party, and the conversation is heavily partisan and activist-driven.

Most active: @peggysanders.bsky.social (8 posts) · Most engaged: @mrrexpatrick.bsky.social (118 likes, 54 reposts, 4 replies)

1. TOP 3–5 TRENDING TOPICS

• Victorian state election (28 November) and One Nation: Heavy commentary on the Victorian campaign, including One Nation's plane-gift controversy (the most-engaged post in the set) and widespread frustration with both major parties.
• Disability funding cuts and NDIS advocacy: Repeated posts on cuts to Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service and broader NDIS changes, with strong engagement from advocates and commentators.
• AUKUS and the US submarine base: Ongoing criticism of AUKUS, concern about possible Newcastle or Port Kembla basing, and calls to scrap the deal.
• Israel, Zionist influence and the Special Envoy: A cluster of posts calling for a royal commission into foreign lobbying and for removal of the Special Envoy, including the highest-liked post of the window.
• Corporate job cuts and AI-driven layoffs: Coverage of ANZ offshoring and sackings, plus Nvidia CEO turmoil shared via AAP feeds.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• [simonrosenberg.bsky.social]: "The Special Envoy is looking in the wrong place deliberately. Because she's Special Envoy for Israel. #SackSegal" (79 likes, 26 reposts). Highest engagement in the set, it reflects the sharpest partisan debate in the window.
• [ajgardineresq.bsky.social]: Reports that Gina Rinehart's... (no, correction: One Nation's) plane gift was sold off, with "No word as to where the proceeds wound up" (13 likes, 8 reposts). It ties the Victorian election to money-in-politics concerns and drove strong engagement.
• [qldaah.bsky.social]: "4 million workers on strike... What they do differently is organise nationally" (23 likes, 10 reposts). It contrasts Spain's national industrial action with Australia's housing pressures, and is a rare post offering a organising-focused alternative framing.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly angry, distrustful and fatigued. Posters frequently describe government as captured by donors or foreign interests, and treat AUKUS, NDIS cuts, and the Victorian election as evidence of a broken system. Some optimism appears around the Greens and independents, and a few posts are lighter, but most of the conversation is critical of both major parties and of the Albanese government in particular. Engagement is low overall, with most posts receiving zero to a few likes, and a number of posts are repeated feed items from AAP or automated bridge accounts, so the sample reflects a small, highly partisan community rather than broad public mood.

Most active: @kimwingerei.bsky.social (10 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (79 likes, 26 reposts, 4 replies)

1. TOP TRENDING TOPICS

• Defence and foreign influence: Posts flagged Chinese-run security contracts at Defence bases, AUKUS, Richard Marles' spending, and US-Israel defence industry ties, with Michael West's "Red Alert" post the most engaged-with in the set.
• Israel, Gaza and Zionist lobby influence: Heavy criticism of Albanese, Penny Wong and Jillian Segal over Israel policy, plus calls for debate on Australia's ties to Israel.
• Climate, fossil fuels and COP31: Attacks on Albanese's fossil fuel ties, a new coalmine, Scott Reef protection campaigns and Turkey's COP31 financing deal.
• Victorian and state election activity: #vicvotes26 and #springst content covering One Nation, Socialist Alliance, Nationals spending in Bendigo, and Jess Wilson's links to the US right.
• Housing, banking and cost of living: Westpac's construction slump, the CommBank and NAB stories, falling house prices, data centres and diesel prices.

2. NOTABLE POSTS

• Michael West (41 likes, 19 reposts): "Red Alert. Questions on Notice reveal the Chinese are running security for Defence but that's okay because it's 'layered'." This was the highest-engagement post on the defence theme and reflects broader concern about national security contracting.
• Simon Rosenberg (81 likes, 44 reposts): Quotes Jane Caro: "Australia has used [education funding] to build a class system." It was the most-amplified post in the set and shows education inequality resonating beyond the usual activist circles.
• Buchanan.today (17 likes, 6 reposts): "Why is it that it's only our crossbench MPs who are willing to stand up to the police...? ...If they're the last to speak, then they should be last on our ballots." It captures a widely shared frustration with major parties over WA police conduct and a Cannabis Party MP's call for an officer's suspension.

3. OVERALL SENTIMENT

The mood is predominantly critical and distrustful, with the sharpest anger aimed at Labor (particularly Albanese, Marles and Wong) over Israel, defence spending and fossil fuels, and at the Coalition and One Nation over cost of living and rhetoric. Left-leaning and progressive voices dominate, and many posts frame the major parties as captured by corporate or foreign interests, while a smaller set of posts mock the Coalition or Trump-era US politics. Engagement is modest, with most posts receiving few or no likes, and a notable share of the volume is spam or off-topic hashtag lists (e.g., the toptags and adult-content hashtags) that inflate #auspol counts and should be discounted in any analysis of genuine discourse.

Most active: @coupdegraz7.bsky.social (13 posts) · Most engaged: @simonrosenberg.bsky.social (81 likes, 44 reposts, 3 replies)