⚙️ Political Gadgets News | Saturday, 30 May 2026
Today’s Political Gadgets digest covers: Register of Interests: Anthony Chisholm (QLD) — interests updated; Parliament: not sitting; MP expenses: Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Lab) — $573,597 over 4 quarters; Political advertising: Google $10,650 (YTD $2,108,400); Facebook $93,552 (YTD $642,607).
Today’s digest includes:
- Register of Interests: Anthony Chisholm (QLD) — interests updated
- Parliament: not sitting
- MP expenses: Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Lab) — $573,597 over 4 quarters
- Political advertising: Google $10,650 (YTD $2,108,400); Facebook $93,552 (YTD $642,607)
Bluesky says Tony Abbott’s election as Liberal Party president dominates discussion as party attempts dramatic repositioning.
BlueSky #auspol · 30 May 2026, 05:29 AEST · 623 posts · AI-generated
The dominant story of the day centres on the Liberal Party’s appointment of former prime minister Tony Abbott as federal president, sparking widespread commentary about the party’s direction and electoral prospects. The move has generated scepticism from across the political spectrum, with critics questioning whether returning to Abbott signals genuine renewal or accelerated decline. Meanwhile, the Albanese government faces mounting pressure over its handling of multiple integrity crises, including fallout from the resignation of National Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Paul Brereton and controversy surrounding special envoy Jillian Segal’s undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Key Issues dominating the network include the government’s capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms, which Treasury modelling shows will benefit 90 per cent of young Australians but face fierce opposition from wealthy investors and property interests. One Nation’s reliance on mining billionaire Gina Rinehart’s funding has come under renewed scrutiny following revelations that Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce billed taxpayers for attendance at private fundraising events on Rinehart’s luxury cruise ship. Finally, KPMG’s crisis deepens as its chief executive resigns following Senate evidence of internal whistleblower suppression and alleged tender rigging, intensifying calls for governments to cease contracting with compromised consulting firms.
A standout exchange saw Senator David Pocock question Segal about a $200,000 contract awarded without tender to a former Morrison government official, asking pointedly: “Even if you don’t provide any services, we still pay you?” The overall tone across the network is one of frustration with institutional failures and demands for genuine accountability from both major parties.
Top topics: Tony Abbott Liberal Presidency · Government Integrity Crises · Capital Gains Tax Reforms · One Nation Funding Scandal · KPMG Executive Resignation
AI-generated from BlueSky #auspol posts.
Register of Interests Update — Patrick Conroy
Shortland, New South Wales
Australian Labor Party
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | Accepted an invitation from the NRL for myself and guests to attend the NRL Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane in May 2026, attending with Ministers from PNG. |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Chisholm, Anthony
Queensland
Australian Labor Party
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | Sponsored Travel Or Hospitality | 2 x tickets and hospitality at AFL Round 9, Brisbane Lions vs Carlton on Saturday 8 May 2026 at the Gabba, Brisbane, courtesy of Brisbane Lions |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Hodgins-May, Steph
Victoria
Australian Greens
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | Office Holder Donating | Harcourt Bushfire Relief Fund |
Deletions
None
Employment Department Awards $14.3m Adult Skills Survey to Ipsos
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has contracted Ipsos Public Affairs to conduct Australia's participation in the international PIAAC survey between 2026 and 2029, with the contract valued at $14.3 million. PIAAC, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, is an OECD-coordinated survey that measures adult proficiency in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills among people aged 16 to 65.
Ipsos Public Affairs is the Australian arm of Ipsos Group, a Paris-headquartered market research firm founded in 1975 that operates in 87 countries with approximately 20,000 employees worldwide. The company ranks as the world's third-largest research agency and specialises in public opinion research, working with government, corporate and not-for-profit clients. In Australia, Ipsos employs over 200 staff across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with its Public Affairs division conducting government surveys, patient experience studies, and Indigenous research.
Australia participated in the first PIAAC cycle in 2011-2012 but did not join the second cycle completed in 2023. The Australian Government announced in January 2024 that it would rejoin PIAAC to provide updated evidence on foundation skills. The survey is designed as 10-yearly cycles, with the OECD now planning a second round of data collection from 2025 to 2029. Countries typically interview at least 5,000 randomly selected respondents, with the assessment taking between 90 minutes and two hours to complete.
Sources: ipsos.com; oecd.org; ministers.dewr.gov.au; wikipedia.org [link]
All tenders
The Fed Govt announced $45,483,504 in contracts. Top of the list was IPSOS PUBLIC AFFAIRS PTY LTD ($14,347,513) [link]
Consultant Tenders
$139,042,636 in Federal contracts to the big consultants in 2026. $172,700 yesterday. – KPMG: $172,700 {37} [link]
Fed Govt Outsourced labour costs
Government Temporary Staff Tenders in the last day: $10,733,336 [link]
Politician Expenses
Fiona Phillips (Reps, Gilmore, Lab) claimed $573,597 in expenses over the last 4 reported quarters for major categories such as travel, offices and cars. That is $171,735 less than the average. #auspol [link]
Double Donors
Employers Mutual Management donated $24,200 in 2023-24. That was $9,500 to Labor and $14,700 to the Coalition. {5156} #auspol [link]
Parliamentary attendance
Rebekha Sharkie (representatives, Mayo, Centre Alliance) attended 78.8% of possible votes. [link]
Political advertising on Google
Political advertising spend with Google in last 24 hours: $10,650. (YTD: $2,108,400) [link]
Political advertising on Facebook
Political advertising on Facebook yesterday: $93,552. (YTD: $642,607) [link]
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