⚙️ Political Gadgets News | Monday, 12 October 2026
Today’s Political Gadgets digest covers: MP expenses: Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Labor) — $558,158 over 4 quarters; Political advertising: Google $0 (YTD $3,760,350).
Today’s digest includes:
- MP expenses: Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Labor) — $558,158 over 4 quarters
- Political advertising: Google $0 (YTD $3,760,350)
Bluesky says Pauline Hanson and immigration dominate #auspol as Victorian and federal campaigns heat up
BlueSky #auspol · 12 October 2026, 04:29 AEST · 522 posts · AI-generated
Hanson’s One Nation and the Coalition’s migration policy drew the sharpest exchanges on Sunday, with commentators and users focusing on Angus Taylor’s pledge to cut temporary visas and “lower numbers, higher standards” slogan after his CPAC appearance, where Hanson said she would work with the Coalition but dismissed Taylor as the right man to lead. Polling released during the day showed Labor on 29 per cent, One Nation on 25 to 28 per cent and the Coalition on 20 to 23 per cent, feeding a broader sense that the major parties are losing ground.
Key issues included Australia’s relationship with the United States, with widespread criticism of reports on a US military build-up on the Cocos Islands, the planned live-streamed US execution, and Labor’s reluctance to sign a joint statement on the International Criminal Court. Gaza and aid spending drew large rallies in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and many posts accused Labor of complicity. Cost of living, housing and the Greens’ pitch on grocery prices and fossil fuel donations also featured, alongside a row over ABC coverage of Lord Andrew Roberts.
The tone was combative and largely hostile to the major parties, with the most widely shared post being a cartoon-style rebuke of the government’s climate record that drew more than 200 likes. Commentary on Insiders, particularly Angus Taylor’s migration interview, was mocked as incoherent by a wide range of users, while Michael West Media’s reporting on the ABC and Lord Roberts was amplified heavily. Overall the conversation leaned left and anti-Coalition, with little visible support for the government’s position.
Top topics: Immigration Policy · One Nation Polling · US-Australia Relations · Gaza and Aid Spending · Cost of Living
AI-generated from BlueSky #auspol posts.
Exact Contracting to build Mutitjulu power, water and sewer upgrade at Uluru
Exact Contracting Pty Ltd has won a $122.3 million Director of National Parks contract for the Mutitjulu Essential Services and Renewables Project.
Exact describes itself as an Australian-owned company established in Alice Springs in 1992. Greg Rhodes founded Rhodes Contracting that year, and it later became Exact. It opened an Adelaide support office in 2002 and works in agriculture, civil, mining and water. Its services include road construction, pipelines and contract crushing. IBISWorld lists 2026 revenue of about $317 million and 424 employees, though other data aggregators report different figures. A recent listed project is the Tanami Road upgrade and seal for the Northern Territory Government.
The works will replace power, water and sewer services for the Mutitjulu community. Parks Australia told a parliamentary committee that the existing infrastructure is over 30 years old and does not meet current standards. The committee was originally told the cost would be $91.87 million. The upgrade covers Mutitjulu, Maruku and Rangerville. It includes a 1 MW solar array and a battery system, which the government says will reduce diesel use. Preparation work was due to start in town within weeks, with full construction planned for January. A consultancy, Yanun, says it supported the agency's procurement and that this was expected to be the agency's largest single procurement.
Sources: exactcontracting.com.au; ibisworld.com; aph.gov.au; miragenews.com; pv-magazine-australia.com; yanun.com.au [link]
Consultant Tenders
$511,531,212 in Federal contracts to the big consultants in 2026. $0 yesterday. {485} [link]
Flights
The VIP fleet flew at least 1,382 km in the last few days. That’s 1 plane doing 2 flights over 2 hrs and 32 mins and costing around $11,725. [link]
Politician Expenses
Alison Byrnes (Reps, Cunningham, Labor) claimed $558,158 in expenses over the last 4 reported quarters for major categories such as travel, offices and cars. That is $89,548 less than the median. #auspol [link]
Double Donors
Employers Mutual Management donated $24,200 in 2024-25. That was $9,500 to Labor and $14,700 to the Coalition. {7148} [link]
Parliamentary attendance
Claire Clutterham (Reps, Sturt, Australian Labor Party) attended 100% of possible votes. [link]
Political advertising on Google
Political advertising spend with Google in last 24 hours: $0. (YTD: $3,760,350) [link]
Political advertising on Facebook
Political advertising on Facebook on 8 Oct: $149,358 ($32.2m so far in 2026). Top spender: These ads ran without a disclaimer ($17,546). Biggest categories: Party/Candidate $30k, Business $25k, Charity $23k. Full breakdown: https://politicalgadgets.com/SocialMedia/facebook_stats/2026-10-08.html [link]
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