So Troy Buswell, the not-so-shiny new leader of the Liberal* Party in Western Australia, has got a pretty serious case of foot-in-mouth disease.
You may remember Troy from such episodes as “Snapping open the Bra of a Labor Party Staffer in Parliamentary Chambers”, and “Sexually Harassing Carine MP Katie Hodson-Thomas”.
Now Troy has revealed that more of his grimy past is likely to come to light. But it’s everyone else’s fault – for remembering it. Guess they just weren’t trashed enough at the time, eh?
New WA Liberal Party leader Troy Buswell admits that more reports of his past sleazy behaviour are likely to surface in coming months.
And Carine MP Katie Hodson-Thomas has revealed that inappropriate comments Mr Buswell made to her were of a sexual nature and directed at her, not merely sexist remarks as reported.
In a frank interview, Mr Buswell, who won this week’s leadership contest, conceded: “There may well be people out there with … a nasty memory who want to bring things to the public attention.
[…]
[Hodson-Thomas] told The Sunday Times:
“(Mr Buswell’s comments) were of a sexual nature. Involving me. He had been drinking. It was offensive enough for me to indicate to the party room that I wouldn’t tolerate that behaviour any more. In no other workplace would that be acceptable behaviour.”
[…]
[Buswell,] Asked what the comments were and whether they were of sexual nature, he answered: “I can’t recall.”
[…]
“I acknowledge that my … natural exuberance may have caused me in the past to do things or say things which have caused offence to people.”
Boys will be boys, eh? It’s just natural exuberance! Let’s just forget about it, and shoot them to the political top!
Words fail.
* where “Liberal” = conservative
Categories: gender & feminism, Politics
QOTD for IWD: Aung San Suu Kyi 
Grabbing somebody is Assault, and sexual touch makes it Sexual Assault. Stop minimising this. #rapeculture101 
BFTP Friday Hoyden: Emma Goldman 
96th Down Under Feminists Carnival 
Hoyden About Town 
And I totally tried to work in a “This is not the Troy you’re looking for” joke, but failed.
Lauredhel’s last blog post..Hippocampus-blamin?: Beavis in Charge
I wish we had an Australian version of SNL – there’s such a good “Troy as Mel Gibson/Michael Richards” sketch to be done.
I think Troy will end up as an Australian Dan Quayle though – a laughingstock to the media and public and an embarrassment to his party.
Someone else (probably Federal) will be parachuted in and Troy will be shown the door – and if he’s lucky given a retirement gift of some important position – most likely however it will be a “Troy Buswell to Aisle Nine…” sort of future.
And speaking of The Party Troy, here is a picture of him in his younger days.
Plus, according to a post on Pollbludger, Young Troy was once a member of the ALP, his father a former ALP man, apparently in the Centre-Left faction.
Shades of Brendan Nelson ?
[edited to insert image. ~l]
Unbelievable. The Liberal Party is suffering a complete meltdown. It was only in WA that they managed to pick up seats in the Federal election, but if they elect f-wits like Buswell, they can’t be expected to do that any longer.
TimT’s last blog post..Conan the Annoyer
Politics WA have a style all their own. Alan Carpenter is prepared to take difficult positions. His stance on uranium mining is just one instance. He inherited the usual mix of cronyism and factionalism. The confrontation with Shelley Archer and Kevin Reynolds certainly did not help Labor’s Federal vote coming immediately before the poll. During our time in Broome over the last year, the Opposition have been pathetic.
Kevin Rennie’s last blog post..Remembering ’68
Frank, I suggest we call the loss of gravitas with this kind of Animal House / Party Boy photo the Hamish effect.
Helen’s last blog post..While I?m out walking the dogs
Ah, there I was trying to remember his name! Thanks, Helen.
And y’all were wondering why I wasn’t planning on going into politics?* THIS IS WHY.
[* or, not. ]
The ALP once asked my uncle (prominent in media and later diplomacy) to consider being their candidate for a safe seat and his reply:
‘I have too many skeletons in my closet!’
Another article on Boozewell by ALP Lawyer and 2004 candidate for Pearce, David Ritter.
http://www.newmatilda.com/2008/01/21/wa-boys-club
Yes, Farnk you are right – Buswell was in the ALP in his University days. According to a Sunday Times article he changed when he got married and moved back to Busselton. I can’t remeber the exact words he mentions finances and ‘looking after my own family” – In other words the typical self-interest Lib philosophy of looking after your own family (and bugger everyone else’s, especially if they are poor) and making money.
Of course the other factor is Buswell’s long-held ambition to be an MP (confirmed by his mother in anarticle in the local paper this week) – Buswell lived in a safe Liberal seat – there was no way he was ever getting to Parliament here by running for the ALP – it had to be Liberal.
It is a pretty sure bet that if Buswell lived in Dianella he would be a Labor MP by now.
BTW an anagram of Troy Buswell is Bully We Sort