⚙️ Political Gadgets News | Thursday, 29 October 2026
Today’s Political Gadgets digest covers: Parliament: sitting; MP expenses: Nita Green (QLD, Labor) — $860,524 over 4 quarters; Political advertising: Google $72,000 (YTD $4,322,100).
Today’s digest includes:
- Parliament: sitting
- MP expenses: Nita Green (QLD, Labor) — $860,524 over 4 quarters
- Political advertising: Google $72,000 (YTD $4,322,100)
Bluesky says the cost-of-living and inflation debate dominated #auspol, with Labor and the RBA squeezed from the left and the right
BlueSky #auspol · 29 October 2026, 04:29 AEST · 651 posts · AI-generated
Inflation and interest rates were the day’s dominant story, with posters tying the 4.3 per cent September print to a likely Melbourne Cup day rate rise and arguing over whether the cause lies in government spending, private sector demand, fuel prices or RBA policy. Many on the left pressed Labor to “Raise the Rate” for income support recipients and to tax the rich and gas exports, while critics accused the government of abandoning its base. The conversation was shadowed by the attack on independent MP Helen Haines and the One Nation Bluey colouring book controversy.
Key issues included inflation and monetary policy, with the RBA’s expected rate decision on 3 November drawing wide comment. Israel and Gaza remained a sustained flashpoint, centred on calls to sanction Israeli figures, criticism of Penny Wong and Jillian Segal, and reaction to the Israeli election. One Nation’s conduct also drew heavy traffic after the ABC demanded removal of Bluey-themed cartoons and a children’s colouring book featuring a character held at knifepoint. Finally, the Greens’ National Press Club address by David Shoebridge, which proposed a gas export tax and tax-free thresholds, was widely shared and debated.
The standout moment was the Greens’ Press Club speech, which drew praise from supporters and mockery from critics, with one post noting that the Bluey controversy had “nothing to do with satire” and another calling it “the best leadership” on display. The overall tone was angry and sardonic, with frequent calls for Labor to change course and a notable sense of disillusionment with both major parties.
Top topics: Inflation and Cost of Living · RBA Interest Rates · Israel and Gaza · One Nation Bluey Controversy · Greens Gas Export Tax
AI-generated from BlueSky #auspol posts.
‘What electorate am I in?’ gadget upgraded
Our ‘What electorate am I in?’ gadget has had a major upgrade – and a baby!
There’s now a widget which anyone can add to their website.
Gadget and widget tell a person what Federal, State and Council electorate they are in. [link]
Register of Interests Update — Angus Taylor
Hume, New South Wales
Liberal Party · Leader of the Opposition
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | 26 September 2026 – Tickets & Hospitality – AFL Grand Final courtesy of the AFL. |
| Self | 12. Travel Or Hospitality | 4 October 2026 – Tickets & Hospitality – NRL Grand Final courtesy of the NRL. |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Zoe McKenzie
Flinders, Victoria
Liberal Party
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 11. Gifts | Participation at Centre for Independent Studies Consilium 2026, 16 – 18 October 2026. |
Deletions
None
Register of Interests Update — Susan Templeman
Macquarie, New South Wales
Australian Labor Party
Additions
| Person | Item | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Self | 11. Gifts | Two tickets to My Fair Lady – Opera Australia – Saturday 10 October 2026. |
Deletions
None
What they’re talking about
Most used words in parliament on 28 Oct 2026: GAS (661) TAX (582) PEOPLE (429) BUSINESS (340) … [link]
Canberra Indigenous ICT reseller Kirra Services wins $13m VMware deal with ABS
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has awarded The Trustee for Kirra Services Unit Trust a $13 million contract for VMware enterprise software.
Kirra Services describes itself as a Canberra-based ICT integration, consultancy and support company certified by Supply Nation. Its listed services include outsourced support for government and corporate networks, ICT contractors, hardware and software supply, recruitment, and ergonomic office furniture. It has also cited a CRN Fast50 #4 ranking for 2021. A government directory lists it as a trust, an Indigenous supplier and an SME.
VMware is not new business for the firm. Kirra won a three-year, $4.9 million VMware licensing renewal with the Bureau of Meteorology. Managing director Brad Nagle credited support from VMware and distributor Ingram Micro, including training and certifications. The firm was named a VMware Professional Services Partner for 2025 within Broadcom's partner framework. That status covers VMware Cloud Foundation deployments, NSX network virtualisation, vSphere and vSAN services, and licensing support. Staff have recently publicly marked Broadcom certification milestones, including the top-tier "Broadcom Knights" designation.
In practice, this work is mostly licence procurement and subscription management. It can also include design and migration services for virtualised data-centre environments.
Sources: kirraservices.com.au; au.linkedin.com; linkedin.com; govcms.gov.au; elioplus.com [link]
All tenders
$67,309,911 in Fed Govt contracts given today. Top spend was with The Trustee for Kirra Services Unit Trust ($13,000,000) The Trustee for Kirra Services Unit Trust has received $52,931,093 in contracts this year. [link]
Consultant Tenders
$515,477,574 in Federal contracts to the big consultants in 2026. $0 yesterday. {1084} [link]
Flights
The VIP fleet flew at least 469 km in the last few days. That’s 1 plane doing 1 flight over 0 hrs and 48 mins and costing around $3,743. [link]
Fed Govt Outsourced labour costs
Government Temporary Staff Tenders in the last day: $5,073,907 [link]
How does the tender money flow…
YTD tenders for Parliamentary Workplace Support Service: $1,768,150 [link]
Politician Expenses
Nita Green (Senate, QLD, Labor) claimed $860,524 in expenses over the last 4 reported quarters for major categories such as travel, offices and cars. That is $212,818 more than the median. #auspol [link]
Double Donors
Calvert-Jones, John Anthony donated $64,400 in 2024-25. That was $1,000 to Labor and $63,400 to the Coalition. {8065} [link]
Parliamentary attendance
Cameron Caldwell (Reps, Fadden, Liberal National Party) attended 69% of possible votes. [link]
Political advertising on Google
Political advertising spend with Google in last 24 hours: $72,000. (YTD: $4,322,100) [link]
Political advertising on Facebook
Political advertising on Facebook on 25 Oct: $168,641 ($34.9m so far in 2026). Top spender: Victorian Labor ($23,505). Biggest categories: Party/Candidate $62k, Advocacy $31k, Business $26k. Full breakdown: https://politicalgadgets.com/SocialMedia/facebook_stats/2026-10-25.html [link]
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