Australia opposition slams government over ‘wasteful’ wombat diplomacy

Australia’s opposition Labor Party’s launched a Waste-pedia booklet and Waste Watch website on Thursday, accusing the coalition government of over-lavish spending – including US$400,000 on “koala and other marsupial-related events”.

“This government is obsessed with hugging koalas. We’ve had $400,000 which included [foreign minister] Julie Bishop paying A$133,000 to fly four koalas to Singapore Zoo,” opposition minister Pat Conroy said outside parliament.

“She spent I think it was US$130,000 taking diplomats to Western Australia where they hugged wombats for a change – so at least they changed up the marsupial.”

It was not immediately clear how the figures were reached.

Australia’s marsupials, including koalas and kangaroos, are mammals that mostly carry their young in a pouch and are a major tourist draw for the country.

The report also flagged the cost of koala hire during the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane, in which then Prime Minister Tony Abbott famously threatened to “shirtfront” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.