Troy Buswell: The Real Risk

In the Busselton Dunsborough Mail of Wednesday March 20, Trevor Sargent (who I don't know) wrote a letter critical of me and of my views about Vasse MP and state treasurer Troy Buswell. In response, I submitted the following letter for publication in the following week's Mail. During the recent election campaign, however, the Mail chose not to print any letters written in support of me and they ran a clearly overt campaign supportive of Buswell. It was not surprising therefore that the following letter was not published published.

In response to Trevor Sargent's criticism of me (letters, Mail, March 20), Troy Buswell and I were candidates for Liberal preselection for Vasse in 2003. Powerbroker Noel Crichton-Browne had been expelled from the Party some years previously but he was widely acknowledged within the party as having control over the Yallingup and Dunsborough branches and the delegates from these branches voted against me at the preselection meeting. After losing preselection, I then gave electors the opportunity to choose between Buswell and myself at the 2005 election.

Crichton-Browne will probably say my claims about him are untrue. However, both Buswell and Crichton-Browne were publicly interviewed by the Corruption and Crime Commission over the Smiths Beach proposal. Former Shire councillor Helen Shervington was quoted as saying that, after a meeting between Buswell and Crichton-Browne, an agitated Buswell phoned Shervington to say he had felt threatened by Crichton-Browne and that his future in the Liberal Party (i.e, his preselection for Vasse) was at risk if he didn't try to assist the Smiths Beach developers.

Mr Sargent may view Buswell's past behaviour as nothing more than him being 'a silly boy with his personal life' but I view his antics as also affecting his public life. My greatest fear is that, should an unscrupulous person witness a future 'silly' act by Buswell similar to his (alleged)* 'dry humping' of a party guest at a private function, the witness could then seek to influence Buswell into making a decision for the witness's benefit.

Remember: Buswell has admitted having felt threatened by an unelected person, namely, Noel Crichton-Browne, who sought to influence his decision as a shire councillor on a sensitive and valuable issue. But Buswell is now a senior government minister managing a multi-billion dollar treasury. He seems not to understand that he must maintain a near unblemished public and private life so that he can perform his duties without the risk of his being subjected to influence by people who may witness a future 'silly' act. 


Mr Sargent has every right to dismiss my concerns about Buswell but I have every right to stand for election and, in doing so, to remind people of his flawed and risky behaviour. 

* I've subsequently added the word 'alleged' as Buswell claims the dry-humping incident never happened!

Thank you

I wish to thank the many people who came forward to help me in many different ways during the election campaign. Friends, family, acquaintances and complete strangers: all provided support in different ways for the concerns that motivated me to stand against the sitting MP for Vasse. We now know the result, of course, and it's clear that Vasse electors simply weren't concerned about a deeply compromised and controversial person remaining as the 2nd or 3rd most important minister in the state government. It was a poor assessment of the political landscape by me and I apologise to my supporters if I gave them false hope.

I'll probably take a break now from all political activities to recharge my batteries and refocus on what to do with the rest of my life.

Thank you once again. Your moral, emotional, financial and other support has been very greatly appreciated.

Bernie