⚙️ Political Gadgets News | Thursday, 25 June 2026
Today’s Political Gadgets digest covers: Register of Interests: Lidia Thorpe (VIC) — interests updated; Parliament: sitting; MP expenses: Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Lib) — $363,417 over 4 quarters; Political advertising: Google $14,250 (YTD $2,784,450); Facebook $93,552 (YTD $642,607).
Today’s digest includes:
- Register of Interests: Lidia Thorpe (VIC) — interests updated
- Parliament: sitting
- MP expenses: Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Lib) — $363,417 over 4 quarters
- Political advertising: Google $14,250 (YTD $2,784,450); Facebook $93,552 (YTD $642,607)
Bluesky says 692 posts reveal Karl Stefanovic’s fall dominating Australian political discourse, with One Nation’s rise and governance concerns also trending.
BlueSky #auspol · 25 June 2026, 05:29 AEST · 692 posts · AI-generated
Karl Stefanovic’s termination from Channel Nine dominates the 24-hour conversation after his podcast interview with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson was pulled within 24 hours. The interview, which has since been re-uploaded by Pauline Hanson, sparked intense debate about media standards, the mainstreaming of extremism, and Stefanovic’s apparent drift toward One Nation politics. The incident crystallises broader anxieties about the intersection of media personalities, far-right movements, and political instability in Australia.
Key Issues: One Nation’s surge continues to generate analysis, with posts exploring whether the rise reflects genuine policy appeal or voter frustration with major parties’ centrism and neoliberal economic settlements. Data centres and AI regulation emerged as a secondary policy concern, with several posts calling for government intervention to protect communities and the environment. Foreign interference through deepfake AI content targeting Australian voters also featured prominently, with concerns that social media platforms amplify One Nation messaging. The UN’s finding that Israel is deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza created a persistent humanitarian discourse, with posts criticising the Australian government’s continued arms supply to Israel.
The overall tone is fractured and intensely partisan. While criticism of Stefanovic and One Nation dominates among centre-left posters, a smaller cohort defends free speech and attacks what they view as media hypocrisy. The conversation reveals deep distrust of major institutions—media, Parliament, and government—with recurring calls for accountability and systemic reform. Community independents and the Greens feature as preferred alternatives among disaffected posters.
Top topics: Karl Stefanovic Media Controversy · One Nation’s Political Rise · Far-Right Extremism Concerns · AI Regulation and Deepfakes · Israel-Gaza Arms Supply
AI-generated from BlueSky #auspol posts.
Register of Interests Update — Thorpe, Lidia
Victoria
Independent
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | Gifts | Artwork (Blueprint Methodology) — Bradley Webb |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Richard Marles
Corio, Victoria
Australian Labor Party · Minister for Defence
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | Hotel upgrade in Abu Dhabi, UAE from a deluxe room to a rosewood suite, received from the accommodation provider. |
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | Hosted as a Guest of Government of the United Kingdom (UK) in June 2026, accommodation (3 rooms) and ground transport provided by UK Government. |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Anika Wells
Lilley, Queensland
Australian Labor Party · Minister for Communications
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | Tickets to 2026 Telstra Premiership – Brisbane Broncos v Gold Coast Titans as guest of the Black Dog Institute |
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | Tickets to 2026 Ampol State of Origin Game 2 – NSW Blues v QLD Maroons match in Melbourne as guest of the NRL |
Deletions
None
What they’re talking about
Most used words in parliament on 24 Jun 2026: PEOPLE (449) TAX (403) LABOR (303) TIME (222) … [link]
Defence Awards LS Telcom $2.9 Million for Spectrum Monitoring Equipment
The Department of Defence has awarded German spectrum management firm LS Telcom a $2.9 million contract for monitoring equipment, to be delivered to the Joint Capability Group SIGINT and Cyber Command. The one-year contract, awarded through limited tender on technical grounds, runs from June 2026 to June 2027.
LS Telcom is a global leader in radio frequency spectrum management and monitoring, serving customers in over 100 countries with more than 30 years of experience. The company provides software and hardware solutions for spectrum management, radio monitoring, and network planning to regulators, defence forces, mobile operators, and critical infrastructure clients. Its LS OBSERVER system enables continuous monitoring of RF spectrum, detecting interference and unauthorized signals, while its mySPECTRA platform supports military spectrum operations including electronic warfare and tactical planning.
Radio frequency monitoring equipment is used by defence and security agencies to detect, identify, and geolocate signals across the electromagnetic spectrum. Military applications include spectrum surveillance, interference resolution, electronic support measures, and signals intelligence operations. Such systems provide situational awareness in contested environments and support spectrum management for reliable communications.
Sources: lstelcom.com.au; lstelcom.com; defenceweb.co.za [link]
All tenders
The Fed Govt announced $20,142,727 in contracts. Top of the list was LS TELCOM ($2,915,000) [link]
Consultant Tenders
$186,300,965 in Federal contracts to the big consultants in 2026. $536,164 yesterday. – PWC: $219,824 – KPMG: $316,340 {1650} [link]
Flights
The VIP fleet flew at least 0 km in the last few days. That’s 1 plane doing 1 flight over 3 hrs and 14 mins and costing around $14,816. [link]
Fed Govt Outsourced labour costs
Government Temporary Staff Tenders in the last day: $8,280,767 [link]
How does the tender money flow…
YTD tenders for Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency: $4,975,615 {470} [link]
Politician Expenses
Richard Colbeck (Sen, Tasmania, Lib) claimed $363,417 in expenses over the last 4 reported quarters for major categories such as travel, offices and cars. That is $432,632 less than the average. #auspol [link]
Double Donors
Ampol donated $50,200 in 2023-24. That was $10,000 to Labor and $40,200 to the Coalition. {2907} #auspol [link]
Parliamentary attendance
Jana Stewart (senate, Victoria, Australian Labor Party) attended 81.6% of possible votes. [link]
Political advertising on Google
Political advertising spend with Google in last 24 hours: $14,250. (YTD: $2,784,450) [link]
Political advertising on Facebook
Political advertising on Facebook yesterday: $93,552. (YTD: $642,607) [link]
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