The business of smartcards is certainly more profitable than that as Prime Minister of Australia. John Howard, by comparison, gets a paltry annual salary of A$350,000.

Of course, a stint in Canberra may or may not be comparable to a war zone, but the ability to avoid a few passing missiles never goes astray in IT project management.

But hey, let's put it in perspective. Smartcards do not compare to telecommunications where Telstra chief Sol Trujillo pocketed A$1 million just for signing on the dotted line. And that's in addition to his fixed A$3 million salary plus bonuses.

So, if salary levels are an indicator, leading a telecommunications company must be tougher than leading a country. And smartcards? Is A$2 million of taxpayers funds fair? What do you think? Will you line up for the job?

E-mail Michael_Crawford@idg.com.au