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AUSTRALIA 
Buswell quits as WA opposition leader
Monday, 4 August, 2008
Troy Buswell (AAP)
Troy Buswell has quit as leader of the West Australian opposition, saying he wants the public's focus to be on the failures of the Carpenter government and on not him.
Mr Buswell, who took on the top job in the opposition at the beginning of the year, had been under pressure to stand down since he admitted sniffing a female colleague's chair several months ago.
Internal party polling is believed to have shown that Mr Buswell, 42, could not carry the support of Liberal voters at the next election - expected to be called within months.
According to local media reports, the state's senior Liberal members met at the weekend to discuss reinstalling former opposition leader Colin Barnett in the position.
Mr Barnett, a former energy, resources and education minister in the Richard Court government, led the Liberal Party to the last state election, in 2005.
Mr Buswell is a first-term MP, while Mr Barnett has 18 years experience as a politician.
West Australia's next election is due to be held before May 2 next year, but anticipation is mounting that Labor Premier Alan Carpenter will call an election within months.
Source: SBS staff and agencies
