QUIRKY WORLD ... Koala-hugging costs Aussie taxpayers €269,000

AUSTRALIA: Australia’s opposition Labor Party has launched a ‘Waste-pedia’ booklet and a Waste Watch website, accusing the government of lavish spending — including some A$400,000 (€269,000) on “koala and other marsupial-related events”.

“This government is obsessed with hugging koalas. We’ve had A$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 A$130,000, taking diplomats to Western Australia where they hugged wombats for a change — so at least they changed up the marsupial.”