Despite global public censure and an apparent lack of local electoral support, serial sexual harasser Troy Buswell today survived a spill motion in the party room, and continues to lead the Liberal Party of Western Australia.
The State election is due anywhere between 21 June 2008 and 2 May 2009. Anyone got an over/under on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend?
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 
I don’t know enough about the alternatives in WA. Labor won our last election in NSW complete with the egregious Iemma&Co only because the NSW Libs couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery even if the brewery had its own events-coordinator offering it to them wrapped up in a bow. Is the Opposition in WA in similarly dire straits?
What are they thinking? Surely this election is a foregone conclusion with this odious man on board? He should be sacked from the party not leading it. Cut him loose.
Tigtog:
That pretty much describes them exactly, I think.
Su:
Word. Some lefties around here are saying “Keep him! It makes the election a foregone conclusion! Whee!”, but I have to disagree. An at-least half-viable, competent opposition keeps the government honest and stops them resting on their laurels.
I didn’t realise you had such an excellent Troy collection over here.Yes, The Libs here couldn’t organise a [pissup*] in a brewery [*], despite the premier and half the government leaving a bad taste in your mouth just mentioning their names.The fact that the libs themselves leaked it is even more telling.
*edited to remove dehumanising sex work joke. Do us a favour, please, TWOP, and can the sexist jokes in this space? Ta. ~lauredhel
He is a complete liability for the Liberal Party and for that lefties can be grateful, but there is a principle here and a man who repeatedly sexually harasses women shouldn’t be maintained in a position of power. Totally wrong. How can the Liberal Party possibly think this is right?
How can the Liberal Party possibly think this is right?
Well after Tampa & then SIEV X, I suspect they gave up any moral or ethical standards whatsoever. What’s really terrific about it is that Nelson gave him his support on the weekend.Happily I think both their leaderships will smash on the rocks of electoral reality.
Sounds like the WA Libs and the NSW Libs are the same as the Victorian Libs.
And I cannot believe they have endorsed this man’s behaviour by keeping him on. What the hell are they thinking?!
The(WA) Queens birthday weekend (29 September) is not the same as the Eastern states Queens Birthday long weekend (9 June) so did you mean the WA or the rest?
Never mind – just remembered it is Tigtog who is the Easterner! That means for once the rest of Australia can be confused rather than us over here in the West.
Not that my comment is going to clarify much at all for anyone.
Grendels last blog post..Tamper – Part Two
Nelson must have exceedingly crap political advisers. The only thing he could possibly have said that would have been politically a good idea would have been “Sexual harassment is never acceptible in any circumstances” and then refused to comment further as it was a state political matter. Saying Buswell has his support was just idiotic in every possible way.
As someone I work with once observed – the man is not just a tool – he’s a spanner.
Grendel: Yes, WA. I kinda figured that was communicated by context (and by the unlikelihood (or impossibility?) of an election before June 9. But it’s fun to confuse the t’other-siders for a change.
Lauredhels last blog post..Birthplans and Expectations
In the interest of completeness of this growing Troypedia, the Australian describes this particular incident in more detail, here:
“Buswell made ‘sexual noises’: woman”
For extra points, spot the one sentence subject that made my head hit my desk.
Wasn’t “t’other-sider” used by Easterners 30-40 years ago?
I don’t know whats worse. His behaviour or his continued endorsement from the party, from Brendon Nelson down. Actually his party’s attitude is worse, it shows that Buswell is not the only one that doesn’t get it