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Good morning!
Oh, you mean you forgot to wish Sir David Attenborough a happy 99th birthday yesterday?
Well then, you better send him a note today to say thanks for all he has given to the world. And by that, I am obviously referencing his world-changing decision to… make tennis balls yellow.
Yes! True story: Attenborough was once a controller at the BBC, responsible for bringing colour television to the British public, which he first trialled with Wimbledon. As he was watching, he realised white tennis balls weren’t visible on the screen, and so he suggested they become yellow.
Anywho. Here’s to the big nine-nine!
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
"I am deeply appreciative of the opportunities the National Party under David Littleproud's leadership has given me... I do, however, feel the Liberal Party is my natural home and somewhere I can contribute meaningfully."
Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price in a statement yesterday, announcing she will sit in the Liberals’ party room, rather than the Nationals, when Parliament re-convenes. As Price is a Country Liberal, it means she can choose whether she sits in the party room of the Nationals or Liberals.
Stat of the day
218kg
The amount of illicit drugs Australian Border Force (ABF) officials found concealed in granite tiles. The drugs (215kg of methamphetamine and 3kg of heroin) were shipped from South East Asia and intercepted last month. According to a joint statement from the ABF and Australian Federal Police (AFP), a 57-year-old Sydney man has been arrested and charged in relation to the shipment. He’s facing life behind bars. The AFP estimates the drugs had a combined street value of around $200 million.
Viral moment of the week
The ‘butterfly effect’ social media trend, where users highlight a pivotal moment in their lives they say created a flow of events after. This trend has got the whole office thinking about the moments, big or small, that have led us to where we are now. If you have a profound moment that’s shaped your life, we would love to hear it!
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Greens leader Adam Bandt has conceded the seat of Melbourne, after he was defeated by Labor candidate Sarah Witty. Bandt, who had held the seat since 2010, told reporters in a press conference, the Greens “has a big future.” The tight race comes after the Greens also lost two other seats in Queensland at Saturday's federal election. However, in the Upper House, the party appears to have held on to all 11 seats. Counting is continuing across many other close contests around the country.
Warning: The following story features the name of a deceased Indigenous person and contains distressing themes. Two men have been found guilty of the murder of Cassius Turvey, a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy from Perth. Jack Brearley and Brodie Palmer were convicted of murder, Mitchell Forth was found guilty of manslaughter, and one other was acquitted of both charges. Cassius was walking home from school in Perth in October 2022 when he was viciously attacked by a group. He was beaten with a metal pole and died after several days in hospital.
Recommendation of the day
Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you
Modibodi are changing the game (again) - launching period-proof swimwear just in time for those of us planning a warmer escape this Aussie winter.
With built-in protection for light to heavy flow and recycled materials crafted in partnership with SEAQUAL®, it’s made for comfort, confidence, and those moments when your period doesn’t take a break.
I’ve got 1 minute
The Catholic Church has elected its first American pope
Robert Francis Prevost has become the first American pope. He will take the name Pope Leo XIV.
The world was told via a plume of white smoke that emerged from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel, to signify a decision had been made, at the end of the second day of the conclave, .
Shortly after, Pope Leo XIV delivered his first public remarks from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, starting with: “Peace be with you!”
The 69-year-old added: “We can be... a church that builds bridges, that is always open to receive everyone.”
Pope
The Pope is the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
Catholics believe the Pope is God’s representative on Earth, and that any official declarations by the Pope cannot be wrong because they come through him from God.
The role has existed since the earliest days of the Church.
Today, the Pope is the head of state of Vatican City, a city-state inside Rome.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Why do some former MPs keep getting paid?
Did you know that some politicians still get paid an annual salary (or in this case, a ‘pension’) upon retiring from Parliament?
The scheme no longer exists, but politicians who were in Parliament prior to it being axed are still eligible.
Peter Dutton, who first entered Parliament in 2001, is one of the eligible politicians.
Here’s what you need to know.
The PCSS
In 1948, the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme (PCSS) was created.
This was a scheme that mandated politicians who had completed 12 years of service or more be paid a certain amount each year once they leave Parliament.
The amount owed was dependent on how long they were in Parliament, and if they held senior roles, such as being a minister.
According to a committee review, there were three main reasons it was established:
This was seen as a form of superannuation. When it was created, superannuation worked very differently to how it does today.
It was seen as harder for a politician to re-establish a career once their parliamentary term was over.
To “entice people to enter Parliament who would otherwise not come”.
In 2004, the scheme was abolished by then-Prime Minister John Howard, who noted there was a “community perception” that the scheme was “too generous”.
Although it was dismantled, the scheme is still applicable to anyone who entered parliament before the 2004 federal election.
For those elected after this date, there is a different scheme that is more in line with how superannuation works today.
Peter Dutton
Dutton has been in Parliament for 24 years.
The equation to work out exactly how much he will get is complex, but news publication Crikey estimates it to be about $258,000 a year.
This is on the higher end of the amount available, because he was in Parliament for so long, and held several ministerial roles when the Coalition was in government.
Remaining
There are not many politicians still in Parliament who remain eligible for the scheme.
Some of those who will be entitled to the PCSS include current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was first elected in 1996, and Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley, who entered in 2001.
According to a report by the Department of Finance, the Government will spend about $48 million in the 2024/25 financial year on the PCSS.
It’s expected there will still be payments to be made until at least 2063.
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Give me some good news
Four critically endangered African penguin chicks that hatched in January have enjoyed their first swim at a U.S. aquarium.
The quartet were born in Connecticut as part of a global breeding and conservation program for African penguins. According to conservationists, African penguins, (found in waters off southern Africa) once numbered in the millions. The population has declined by 97% “mainly due to a scarcity of prey fish.”
However, Dr Allison Tuttle, Chief Zoological Officer at Mystic Aquarium said seeing the chicks thrive “is incredibly rewarding.” The aquarium said the chicks have shown “remarkable growth”, and “represent hope” for the future of their species.
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.
TDA tidbit
The batter thickens…
Sydney-based recipe developer Nagi Maehashi recently alleged that cooking influencer Brooke Bellamy’s latest book includes two recipes from her website, RecipeTinEats.
Bellamy, known for her chain ‘Brooki’s Bakehouse’ specialising in cookies and brownies, has denied the allegations.
This week, Maehashi beat Bellamy at the Australian Book Industry Awards, where both were nominated for Illustrated Book of the Year.
Maehashi won for her latest book, ‘Tonight’.
9News footage showed Maehashi speaking to reporters at the awards, saying: “I’m sorry I don’t have cookies for you, I mean cake! Not cookies!”
Multiple outlets have reported that Bellamy was not at the ceremony.
Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Earlier this week, India fired missiles at Pakistan, reigniting a long-simmering conflict over a disputed region in the Himalayas.
Pakistan said India’s strikes killed at least 31 people, mainly civilians, and that it’s considering it an “act of aggression”.
Today, we’ll explain the history of Kashmir, the region at the centre of this conflict, and what has brought on the latest hostilities.
TDA asks
