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Buswell dodges drink driving questions

The WA Opposition says it's not good enough that fallen MP Troy Buswell won't answer questions about whether he was drunk when he smashed his car.

West Australian Treasurer Troy Buswell
West Australian Treasurer Troy Buswell. (AAP)

Former West Australian Treasurer Troy Buswell refused to answer a barrage of questions about drunkenness on his first day back in parliament, saying "the matter has been dealt with".

Mr Buswell quit cabinet after revelations he had a mental breakdown after crashing his ministerial car into the front gate of his Subiaco home while returning from a wedding on February 23.

It later emerged he also smashed into four parked cars and a power pole, and after pleading guilty to 11 traffic offences, was fined $3100 and disqualified from driving for one year.

Mr Buswell, who remains the MP for Vasse, told reporters before facing his parliamentary colleagues on Tuesday that he had accepted the consequences of his actions by admitting in court to careless driving, failing to report an accident and failing to stop after an accident.

But he would not comment when repeatedly asked whether or not he was drunk that night.

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A witness told police he had seen Mr Buswell barely able to stand as he entered his property.

The MP wasn't questioned by officers on the night or later charged with drink driving.

"Police have investigated those matters," he said.

"In my view, the matter has been dealt with."

The opposition, however, believes otherwise.

Leader Mark McGowan said Mr Buswell's comments weren't good enough. He also took a swipe at Premier Colin Barnett, who said part of the MP's punishment was losing his ministerial portfolio.

"Standards are so low in the government that we have a senior minister, driving, I think, blind drunk down the streets, risking lives, damaging property, and yet the premier says he does not have to explain himself," Mr McGowan told reporters.

"And the police minister says he does not have to explain those events.

"That is not acceptable."

The premier rejected suggestions there had been a cover-up in the days after the crashes.

"I have simply acted as I have seen fit at each stage as information has become available," Mr Barnett told parliament.

"I do not excuse or condone in any way whatsoever what happened leading to the damage."

Mr Buswell said he was "embarrassed and mortified" by the incident, and told the media and his colleagues that he had been diagnosed with bi-polar depression - a condition his doctor believed he had suffered from for some time.

Returning to work was a big part of his treatment, he said.

He also wouldn't commit to serving his full term, saying only that his "report card will read cautiously optimistic".

Mr Buswell said he was unsure if the crashes had triggered the breakdown.

But he admitted he still would not have been fit to hand down the state budget on Thursday as would have been the case had the dramatic events not unfolded.


3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


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