⚙️ Political Gadgets News | Saturday, 5 September 2026
Today’s Political Gadgets digest covers: Parliament: not sitting; MP expenses: Catherine King (Ballarat, Lab) — $1,024,837 over 4 quarters; Political advertising: Google $6,750 (YTD $3,427,350); Facebook $75,700 (YTD $24,400,563).
Today’s digest includes:
- Parliament: not sitting
- MP expenses: Catherine King (Ballarat, Lab) — $1,024,837 over 4 quarters
- Political advertising: Google $6,750 (YTD $3,427,350); Facebook $75,700 (YTD $24,400,563)
Bluesky says AUKUS dominates Australian political discourse as Greens ramp up scrutiny while government doubles down on defence spending.
BlueSky #auspol · 05 September 2026, 05:29 AEST · 454 posts · AI-generated
The dominant tension in Australian politics over the past 24 hours centres on the tripartite AUKUS defence agreement, with Greens Senator David Shoebridge delivering a scathing public assessment at parliamentary inquiry, arguing the $368 billion pact represents “a ridiculously dangerous gamble” and risks turning Australia into a theatre for potential US-China conflict. The government, through Defence Minister Richard Marles, continues to champion the alliance despite mounting grassroots and parliamentary criticism questioning both its strategic logic and opportunity cost.
Key Issues dominating the #auspol conversation include AUKUS strategy and security commitment, with recurring arguments over whether Australia is being positioned as a frontline location for American military operations; climate and energy policy, where Labor faces sustained criticism for approving fossil fuel projects including the Beetaloo gas basin while professing climate action; and Coles’ termination of its Palantir data analytics contract, celebrated as a people-power victory after 85,000 Australians signed a petition, though concerns persist about broader data surveillance and AI infrastructure.
A standout post from senator-focused exchanges saw David Shoebridge directly challenge Defence Deputy Secretary Celia Perkins over her attempt to prevent parliamentary evidence from social media circulation, with Shoebridge responding “it’s so obviously inappropriate”—a moment capturing broader frustration with government transparency. Across the platform, the tone is combative and polarised: supporters celebrate Coles-Palantir as proof activism works, while critics remain deeply sceptical of both major parties’ commitment to climate, housing, and Palestinian human rights. The conversation reflects an electorate searching for alternatives to what many perceive as an increasingly indistinguishable Labor-Coalition consensus.
Top topics: AUKUS Defence Agreement · Climate and Energy Policy · Government Transparency · Data Surveillance and AI · Fossil Fuel Approvals
AI-generated from BlueSky #auspol posts.
Palladium Secures $166.6 Million New Colombo Plan Contract
Brisbane-based international development firm Palladium International Pty Ltd has been awarded a three-year contract worth $166.65 million to deliver program support services for the New Colombo Plan, the Australian Government's flagship student mobility initiative in the Indo-Pacific region. The contract, awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, runs from June 2026 to June 2029.
Palladium is a global development consultancy operating in more than 90 countries with over 2,500 employees. The firm, which was registered in Australia in 1977, works primarily with government agencies and multilateral institutions including DFAT, USAID, the World Bank, and the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The company specialises in program implementation, grant administration, and management consulting across international development sectors.
The New Colombo Plan supports Australian undergraduate students to undertake study, internships, and language training across nearly 40 Indo-Pacific locations. Launched in 2014, the program has expanded significantly, with the 2026 round offering 328 scholarships and more than 2,800 mobility and semester grants. Palladium's role involves administering the Program Support Unit, which provides end-to-end grants management, monitoring and evaluation, alumni engagement, communications, and risk management services consistent with Commonwealth Grant Rules and Principles.
Sources: thepalladiumgroup.com; dfat.gov.au; ausconnect.dfat.gov.au; wikipedia.org; ibisworld.com [link]
All tenders
The Fed Govt announced $561,157,653 in contracts. Top of the list was Palladium International Pty Ltd ($166,650,000) [link]
Consultant Tenders
$491,923,898 in Federal contracts to the big consultants in 2026. $10,000 yesterday. – Deloitte: $10,000 {332} [link]
What’s Parliament doing
Parliament… is not sitting today. There are no committees today. {97} [link]
Flights
The VIP fleet flew at least 3,434 km in the last few days. That’s 2 planes doing 3 flights over 4 hrs and 54 mins and costing around $22,363. [link]
Fed Govt Outsourced labour costs
Government Temporary Staff Tenders in the last day: $13,411,372 [link]
How does the tender money flow…
YTD tenders for Australian Skills Quality Authority: $8,470,770 {124} [link]
Politician Expenses
Catherine King (Reps, Ballarat, Lab) claimed $1,024,837 in expenses over the last 4 reported quarters for major categories such as travel, offices and cars. That is $497,212 more than the median. #auspol [link]
Double Donors
APM Human Services International donated $149,436 in 2023-24. That was $114,436 to Labor and $35,000 to the Coalition. {5401} #auspol [link]
Parliamentary attendance
Richard Colbeck (senate, Tasmania, Liberal Party) attended 80.1% of possible votes. [link]
Political advertising on Google
Political advertising spend with Google in last 24 hours: $6,750. (YTD: $3,427,350) [link]
Political advertising on Facebook
Political advertising on Facebook yesterday: $75,700. (YTD: $24,400,563) [link]
Politicians’ Shareholding Index
Just for entertainment – here is our index of politicians’ shareholdings measured against the index. [link]
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