.. another high class Australian politician .. "chair sniffer" is out ..
Buswell steps down after scandal-plagued leadership Aug 5, 2008
Troy Buswell says he alone made the decision to step down
* Audio: Buswell denies being pushed .. inside..
It has taken a while, but it is now clear - being revealed as a "chair sniffer" is political death.
Troy Buswell has resigned as the leader of the Liberal Party in Western Australia, ending a period marred by scandal and disunity.
Mr Buswell has been unable to drag his poll ratings out of a slump since it was revealed that he had sniffed a woman's chair.
In October last year, there was also an incident when he snapped open the bra of a Labor staffer.
Only a few days ago, Mr Buswell said he had be leading the Liberals to the election, so Monday's announcement came as a surprise.
But he has denied being pushed and said that he had made the decision himself.
"I've made the decision today to resign as leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party because I believe it's in the best interests of the West Australian Liberal Party," he said.
"There is a massive political opportunity at the next state election and I think that I owe it to our candidates, to my fellow members of parliament and to the Liberal Party, to make sure that we have every opportunity to win government at that election."
Mr Buswell said the new leader would have his full support.
"I give an assurance today that whoever replaces me as the leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party will have my 100 per cent support, both on the record and off the record," he said.
Mr Buswell did not really detail why he could not lead the Liberals to victory, only that he wanted to avoid a negative campaign.
He said that internal Liberal Party polling did not show he was un-electable, even though every other poll did.
"Let me put it to you this way. I have formed a view, a very strong view, that we have a far better chance of election victory if there's a change," he said.
He would not actually admit that his past indiscretions had irreparably damaged his leadership. But Mr Buswell did accept that they made his job harder.
"There's no doubt that those issues have made it difficult for us as a political party to obtain the clear air that we need to focus on the issues that we need to focus on. I acknowledge and recognise that," he said.
"Do those issues mean that I am incapable or unfit to lead the state of WA? I don't think so. However, I have an obligation to the Liberal Party and I think a broader obligation to the people of WA, to do everything I can to rid them of this rotten government."
Media's sting
Mr Buswell did not blame the media for focusing on chair sniffing and bra-snapping.
He said media scrutiny never really bothered him, except for the unfounded claim that he had mistreated a quokka.
"I've made mistakes and done things which in hindsight I had never have done," he said.
"I've never kicked a quokka, I hasten to add, and I've got to say, that's probably the only regret, is the way that most scurrilous, useless piece of information was bandied around as if it was a truism. That's about the only thing.
"All the other stuff, you've got to accept it. You know, you're in public office, you're subject to public scrutiny, and no one could ever accuse of me of attempting to shoot the messenger.
"Although, if I had found a few people on that day, I might've, but anyway, time, life marches on."
Mr Buswell's resignation will come as a relief to many Liberal supporters who could not bring themselves to vote for him.
On Monday morning, Attorney-General Jim McGinty denied Labor would need to change its strategy.
"We always planned to run this election on the basis of policy, of making sure that we were making all the right provisions for the future of the public of WA," he said.
"That won't change. Whoever the Liberal Party throw up is a choice for them. Troy Buswell obviously had his difficulties and so does Colin Barnett, but we'll wait and see.
"It's a matter now for the Liberal Party to decide who they want to lead them."
The Liberals are set to elect a new leader on Wednesday, which will be the fourth leadership change for the party since the last election.
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