WA: Troy Buswell timeline

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2008
WA: Troy Buswell timeline

Timeline of events surrounding TROY BUSWELL's elevation to the WA Liberal party leadership
in January, 2008.



November 8, 2005 - First-term MP Troy Buswell is elected to the Liberal party deputy
leadership following Paul Omodei's resignation from the position.



January 13, 2008 - Allegations emerge that Mr Buswell snapped the bra of a Labor staffer
at WA's parliament house in mid-2007.



January 15 - Mr Buswell returns from Japan as speculation mounts he will challenge
Paul Omodei for the Liberal leadership. Mr Buswell apologises for his drunken antics in
parliament in 2007 when he snapped a Labor staffer's bra and cuddled up to a fellow MP.

He also apologises for making sexist remarks to Liberal MP Katie Hodson-Thomas.



January 17 - Mr Buswell elected Liberal party leader after Mr Omodei declines to renominate
in a leadership spill.



February 2 - Liberal MP Sue Walker moves to the backbench and later quits the party
she had dubbed a "boy's club". Ms Walker said she did not trust Mr Buswell.



April 27 - Allegations emerge Mr Buswell sniffed the chair of a Liberal staffer after
she finished talking to a constituent in 2005.



April 28 - Mr Buswell denies the allegations.



April 29 - Mr Buswell breaks down at a press conference after admitting he had sniffed
the staffer's chair in front of others.



May 1 - Liberal MP Graham Jacobs pushes for a leadership spill against Mr Buswell.



May 5 - Mr Buswell re-endorsed as Liberal party leader after the spill motion fails.



May 6 - The woman at the centre of the seat-sniffing scandal says he writhed in mock
sexual pleasure during the incident.



May 14 - Mr Buswell says there is "absolutely no substance" to reports he once did
something inappropriate to a quokka, a small marsupial found on a holiday island off Perth.

- An internet blogger apologises the following day, saying he invented the story.



May 16 - Liberal backbencher Murray Cowper says an incident in which he was reportedly
"squirrel-gripped", or grabbed in the crotch by Mr Buswell, had been dealt with and was
no longer an issue.



June 13 - Mr Buswell dumps police spokesman Rob Johnson from his front bench for demanding
the sacking of a colleague.



June 17 - Mr Buswell survives another leadership spill, brought against him by disaffected
MP Anthony Fels.



June 19 - Former leader Paul Omodei resigns from the Liberal party citing Mr Buswell's
handling of the leadership.



August 4 - Mr Buswell announces his resignation as leader at a press conference he
called following reports of dismal internal polling of his election prospects.



AAP RTV np/was/crh

KEYWORD: BUSWELL TIMELINE

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