the Australian economy or wombats?

Everybody knows that bureaucrats run the country, not politicians who merely tell bureaucrats how to run the country.

Our most senior bureaucrat who runs the Australian economy, or rather ensures the economy runs itself smoothly, cares more about wombats.

From the Daily Telegraph

Treasury boss Ken Henry leaves post to look after wombats
By Steve Lewis, National Political Correspondent
June 27, 2008 12:00am

THE man at the helm of Australia's troubled economy will leave his post for nearly five weeks to look after a colony of endangered wombats.

Rescue mission ... Treasury chief Dr Ken Henry nurses orphaned wombat Toby. Picture: Kym Smith

Ken Henry, the Treasury Secretary, will miss an important Reserve Bank board meeting and be without a mobile phone as he ventures into remote Epping Forest National Park in central Queensland.

The Coalition has questioned who will be running economic policy at a "crucial time", with key decisions pending on carbon trading, tax reform and foreign investment.

All his professional duties, including completing a first draft of the Government's "root and branch" tax review, will be delegated to other Treasury officials.

But Dr Henry is unapologetic for his wombat vacation, which comes as the nation's 226 Federal MPs and senators leave Canberra's chill for the winter recess.

He insists the economy is in "pretty good shape" despite the soaring price of fuel, rising interest rates and a slump in business confidence: "This place doesn't stop when I am not here."

Dr Henry, a passionate conservationist, and his wife Naomi will be "caretaking" a colony of 115 northern hairy-nosed wombats.

While Kevin Rudd has been accused of running the public service into the ground, Dr Henry said everyone "is entitled to have balanced lives".

The Coalition is questioning the timing of his animal odyssey, arguing it will leave Treasurer Wayne Swan badly exposed.

"Who will be looking after the muddle-headed Treasurer in Dr Henry's absence?" Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull asked.

"Everyone is entitled to take annual leave, but this is a crucial time for economic policy and the wombat's gain will be Wayne's loss."

So what happens if the dollar tanks over the next few weeks? "I reckon if there was a mini-economic crisis, people would find ways of getting to me," Dr Henry said, as he posed with orphaned wombat Toby in his Treasury office.

Mr Swan says he has no problems with the holiday.

"Treasury is a highly professional organisation with plenty of talented officials. It will be in good hands."

Dr Henry and his wife have rescued hundreds of native animals on their two properties 60km from Canberra. He is clearly looking forward to the isolation of Epping Forest.

"One of the beauties of this spot, there is no mobile phone coverage and it is 2½ hours to the nearest town, and it's a pretty rough track," he said.

While Dr Henry has devoted his working life to economics, he is just as passionate about rescuing injured native animals.

"These guys are on death row," he said of the northern hairy-nosed wombat. There are 10 times as many giant pandas in the world as there are these guys."

Even I would take the wombats over work.

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Another stay at home today, most of the time on the couch, napping or watching Entourage.