Troy Buswell

Troy Raymond Buswell (born 19 March 1966) is an Australian former politician who was a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2014, representing the seat of Vasse.

He was educated at Busselton Senior High School and later attained a Bachelor of Economics at University of Western Australia, where in 1986 he won the W.G. Salter Memorial Prize in Economics, which is awarded annually to the top student enrolled for the degree of Bachelor of Economics.

In 1992, he became the director of Villa Carlotta Group, which provided bus tours in the Busselton region, and also became involved with the Cape Naturaliste Tourism Association.

On 14 November 1992, he married Margaret Cummins, with whom he had two sons Jacob and Samuel.

He served as a councillor with the Shire of Busselton in 1995–1996, and again in 2001–2003, before becoming its Shire President at the 2003 local government elections.

He stepped down to contest the state election for the Liberal Party in the seat of Vasse, which is centred on Busselton.

Some controversy arose over his preselection as he was chosen over the sitting member, Bernie Masters, who blamed then-deputy leader Dan Sullivan for the decision, quit the party and ran for the seat as an independent.

However, Buswell won the contest by 209 votes.

With the unexpected resignation of Deputy Opposition Leader Paul Omodei in October 2005, Buswell was elected by the party room to replace Omodei in the role, serving under Matt Birney.

Omodei went on to successful challenge for the leadership in March 2006, with Buswell remaining as deputy.

By August 2007, polling numbers had fallen below 14%, and media commentators speculated that Omodei would be replaced with Buswell within six months if he could not improve polling by the end of the year.

However, Buswell was being investigated by the Corruption and Crime Commission over allegations that he had met former Liberal powerbroker Noel Crichton-Browne, who was working as a lobbyist in conjunction with former premier Brian Burke, in a carpark to discuss the Canal Rocks development at Smiths Beach in Yallingup while he was still mayor of Busselton.

On 9 October 2007, he was cleared by the CCC of any wrongdoing and pressure upon Omodei immediately increased.

Former party leader Colin Barnett, however, dismissed its significance, claiming Buswell would lead the Liberal Party at some future point but did not yet have the experience.

On 28 November 2007, just after the 2007 federal election which saw a new Labor government under Kevin Rudd come into power, rumours of a push within the Liberal Party to install Buswell as state leader were reported in the media.

Omodei, however, promised to "land a good right hook" on anyone asking him to stand aside, and asked for a "fair go" while announcing a swathe of new policies for the party.

On 23 December 2007, it was reported that Buswell was moving his family to Shenton Park in Perth's inner western suburbs due to lengthy periods of time away from his family.

He was Treasurer of Western Australia in the Barnett Ministry from 2008 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2014, and also held several other portfolios.

From Busselton, Western Australia, and educated at the University of Western Australia, Buswell was Leader of the Opposition for several months in 2008, before being replaced by Colin Barnett, and was then named Treasurer following the Liberal Party's victory at the 2008 state election.

On 17 January 2008, Buswell announced he would challenge Omodei's leadership.

After a spill motion carried, Omodei did not contest the ensuing leadership vote, and Buswell defeated Shadow Minister for Police and Justice Rob Johnson to become the new leader.

In the following media conference, he refused to comment on allegations relating to a drunken night at parliament, where he snapped the back of a female Labor party staffer's bra-strap as a "party trick", and other "inappropriate and sexist behaviour".

On 27 April 2008 further allegations were published: these included the sniffing of a chair of a female Liberal staffer as well as claims that he crawled around on his hands and knees pretending to be the staffer's husband.

Buswell first refused to deny the allegations, and then subsequently admitted to the act.

The woman later revealed Buswell "was groaning and writhing in sexual pleasure".

As well as these incidents, Buswell has been accused by retiring Liberal MLA for Carine, Katie Hodson-Thomas, of making sexist remarks to her.

MLA for Roe Graham Jacobs called for a leadership spill motion, which took place on 5 May 2008, but the motion failed and Buswell remained leader.

Revelations also came out of Buswell "squirrel gripping" (grabbing the testicles of) Liberal MLA Murray Cowper in parliament.

Cowper did not deny the incident, saying "As far as I'm concerned the matter's dead and it's time for everyone to move on, the media included."

Buswell faced a fresh crisis when it was revealed in a Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) report on 10 June 2008 that a motion moved in Parliament by his staunchest backer, Shadow Minister for Road Safety John McGrath, had been provided to him by lobbyists Brian Burke and Julian Grill.

Burke had written the motion on behalf of a company that sold radar detectors.

The CCC report said Mr McGrath's claim he was unaware of Burke's commercial interest in the issue strained credibility.

Buswell backed McGrath by claiming that he had been cleared of misconduct while McGrath refused to stand down.

Three days later, Buswell sacked the Shadow Police Minister Rob Johnson after Johnson said he could not serve in the Shadow Cabinet with McGrath as Shadow Minister for Road Safety.

He resigned from the ministry in April 2010 following allegations of improper use of ministerial allowances during an extramarital affair with Greens MLA Adele Carles, the Member for Fremantle.

Buswell was re-appointed to the ministry in December 2010 as Minister for Transport and Minister for Housing, and regained the post of Treasurer in July 2012.

After taking several days personal leave early in the month, he resigned from Cabinet on 10 March 2014.

The Premier said that Buswell had suffered a breakdown and had received hospital treatment in Perth and a clinic in Sydney.

He resigned from parliament on 3 September 2014, citing his health as being incompatible with public life.

Buswell was born in the regional city of Bunbury, Western Australia.