And pinch and a punch for the first day of the month.

Is it too early to start asking people what their NYE plans are?!

The quote
"The latest attacks on my character in relation to this report is just a further attempt... by the Government following my departure from office to discredit me and my service to our country during one of the most difficult periods our country has faced since the Second World War." – Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison accusing the Government of weaponising the Robodebt Royal Commission to discredit him, after it found he failed in his duties as a Minister in relation to the unlawful scheme.

The stat
54
The number of people who died in northwestern Pakistan after a suicide bomb at an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric on Sunday. Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attack.

Today in history
1984: The Sex Discrimination Act came into effect, making it illegal to discriminate against people in the workplace on the basis of sex, marital status, or pregnancy.

Some headlines from this morning:

Lance 'Buddy' Franklin had announced he is retiring from the AFL, effective immediately.

Franklin debuted in 2005 and played 354 games for Hawthorn and Sydney. He kicked 1066 goals – the fourth-most of all time.

"What a journey. Thanks to everyone who has been on this crazy ride with me," Franklin said in an Instagram post.

Why now?
The news comes after Franklin sustained a calf injury during Saturday’s game against Essendon.

Sydney Swans coach John Longmire said in a press conference yesterday: “[We] got some news last night [Sunday night] after he had his scan that it was probably going to be a six-week scenario with his calf.”

There are only four weeks left of the regular season before the finals.

Longmire continued: “[Franklin] rang me… he was pretty emotional and devastated that that could be the way it finished. It certainly sounded like he’d made the call there and then. I said to just have a sleep on it and we’ll chat this morning.

“I went to his place this morning [Monday], he had a good night’s sleep, and felt a lot better today [Monday], but he made the decision clearly.”

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A draft law to require ministers to consider the climate impact of their decisions on future generations is being introduced to Parliament this week.

Independent Senator David Pocock will introduce the Bill, which was developed with Anjali Sharma, who previously sued a minister in a bid to establish such a duty.

However, it is not expected to gain the necessary support to pass Parliament.

Background:
In 2021, Sharma led a group of eight teenagers in a lawsuit against then-Environment Minister Sussan Ley.

The group tried to stop Ley from approving a coal mine, arguing she had a duty of care to protect Australian children from potential climate-related harm.

Federal Court Justice Mordecai Bromberg initially found there was indeed a duty of care. However, Ley appealed this verdict and in 2022 the Full Federal Court overturned it.

Why it failed:
In denying that the Environment Minister had a duty of care, Federal Court Chief Justice James Allsop made two key arguments.

First, he found the impact of any decision was "tiny" and the Minister did not have control over climate-related harms given the global contributions to climate change.

Second, he suggested the courts were not an appropriate place to make decisions affecting policy.

The new Bill:
The proposal would require ministers give "paramount" consideration to the climate impacts of key decisions, restricting them from making any decision that could harm "the health and wellbeing of current and future children".

If passed, the Bill could be used as grounds for lawsuits similar to Sharma's in future.

Sharma told TDA: "It's young people who have continued to step up to the mark to find new and creative avenues to reach government and make sure their decisions are made with our best interests at heart."

In a statement, Senator Pocock called for an end to the "short term focus" on "polls, the media cycle [and] the next election".

"We need to be looking at how our decisions impact young people and future generations," he said.

Will it pass?
The Bill is not expected to pass.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen told TDA the Government had recently added climate objectives to a range of laws and said it was considering whether to broaden this, but did not indicate support for this specific Bill.

The Coalition declined to comment, but contested the idea of a duty of care when it was in government on the grounds that it would constrain ministers.

Get all the news you need to know today in your ears on The Daily Aus podcast!

A preserved 46,000-year-old Roundworm has been revived after it was found in Siberian permafrost (frozen soil).

Scientists hope the findings will help them better understand evolutionary processes.

Feeling the winter social slump? You're not alone. In a recent survey of young adults (18-25), 72% struggle to socially connect in winter. However, it's important to remember that staying socially active is just as crucial as being physically active for a healthy life.

With VicHealth's Reality Check initiative, we're here to remind you (and ourselves at TDA) to prioritise face-to-face moments. Joining a local sports team or scheduling regular dinners with your friends can break up the day-to-day routine and make a real difference. It may sound simple, but you might be surprised by the impact it can have on your overall well-being!

Virgin births! They’re a thing!

A couple of months ago we reported on the first known ‘virgin birth’ in a crocodile. Now, fruit flies are having their moment of glory.

Researchers have induced the first virgin birth in a fruit fly species – meaning female fruit flies could produce offspring when there are no males around.

The researchers found that after they genetically tweaked a species of fruit flies, which normally reproduce sexually, the female flies would wait about 40 days to find a male before they would trigger a virgin birth instead. The research was published in the journal Current Biology.

“It was very exciting to see a virgin fly produce an embryo able to develop to adulthood, and then repeat the process," said Dr Alexis Sperling, a researcher at the University of Cambridge.

May we all respect fruit flies more. We never did appreciate them enough.