Minister for Transport
Troy Buswell took which position in Feb 2013?
Troy Buswell Troy Raymond Buswell ( born 19 March 1966 ) is a former Australian politician who was a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2014 , representing the seat of Vasse . He was Treasurer of Western Australia in the Barnett Ministry from 2008 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2014 , and also held several other portfolios . From Busselton , Western Australia , and educated at the University of Western Australia , Buswell was Leader of the Opposition for several months in 2008 , before being replaced by Colin Barnett , and was then named Treasurer following the Liberal Partys victory at the 2008 state election . He resigned from the ministry in April 2010 following allegations of improper use of ministerial allowances during an extramarital affair with Greens MLA Adele Carles , the Member for Fremantle . Buswell was re-appointed to the ministry in December 2010 as Minister for Transport and Minister for Housing , and regained the post of Treasurer in July 2012 . After taking several days personal leave early in the month , he resigned from Cabinet on 10 March 2014 . The Premier said that Buswell had suffered a breakdown and had received hospital treatment in Perth and a clinic in Sydney . He resigned from parliament on 3 September 2014 , citing his health as being incompatible with public life . Early life and local government career . Buswell was born in the regional city of Bunbury , Western Australia . He was educated at Busselton Senior High School and later attained a Bachelor of Economics at University of Western Australia , where in 1986 he won the W.G . Salter Memorial Prize in Economics , which is awarded annually to the top student enrolled for the degree of Bachelor of Economics . In 1992 , he became the director of Villa Carlotta Group , which provided bus tours in the Busselton region , and also became involved with the Cape Naturaliste Tourism Association . On 14 November 1992 , he married Margaret Cummins , with whom he had two sons Jacob and Samuel . He served as a councillor with the Shire of Busselton in 1995–1996 , and again in 2001–2003 , before becoming its Shire President at the 2003 local government elections . He stepped down to contest the state election for the Liberal Party in the seat of Vasse , which is centred on Busselton . Some controversy arose over his preselection as he was chosen over the sitting member , Bernie Masters , who blamed then-deputy leader Dan Sullivan for the decision , quit the party and ran for the seat as an independent . However , Buswell won the contest by 209 votes . Deputy leadership . With the unexpected resignation of Deputy Opposition Leader Paul Omodei in October 2005 , Buswell was elected by the party room to replace Omodei in the role , serving under Matt Birney . Omodei went on to successful challenge for the leadership in March 2006 , with Buswell remaining as deputy . By August 2007 , polling numbers had fallen below 14% , and media commentators speculated that Omodei would be replaced with Buswell within six months if he could not improve polling by the end of the year . However , Buswell was being investigated by the Corruption and Crime Commission over allegations that he had met former Liberal powerbroker Noel Crichton-Browne , who was working as a lobbyist in conjunction with former premier Brian Burke , in a carpark to discuss the Canal Rocks development at Smiths Beach in Yallingup while he was still mayor of Busselton . On 9 October 2007 , he was cleared by the CCC of any wrongdoing and pressure upon Omodei immediately increased . Former party leader Colin Barnett , however , dismissed its significance , claiming Buswell would lead the Liberal Party at some future point but did not yet have the experience . On 28 November 2007 , just after the 2007 federal election which saw a new Labor government under Kevin Rudd come into power , rumours of a push within the Liberal Party to install Buswell as state leader were reported in the media . Omodei , however , promised to land a good right hook on anyone asking him to stand aside , and asked for a fair go while announcing a swathe of new policies for the party . On 23 December 2007 , it was reported that Buswell was moving his family to Shenton Park in Perths inner western suburbs due to lengthy periods of time away from his family . Leader of the Opposition . On 17 January 2008 , Buswell announced he would challenge Omodeis leadership . After a spill motion carried , Omodei did not contest the ensuing leadership vote , and Buswell defeated Shadow Minister for Police and Justice Rob Johnson to become the new leader . In the following media conference , he refused to comment on allegations relating to a drunken night at parliament , where he snapped the back of a female Labor party staffers bra-strap as a party trick , and other inappropriate and sexist behaviour . On 27 April 2008 further allegations were published , these included the sniffing of a chair of a female Liberal staffer as well as claims he crawled around on his hands and knees pretending to be the staffers husband . Buswell first refused to deny the allegations , and then subsequently admitted to the act . The woman later revealed Buswell was groaning and writhing in sexual pleasure . As well as these incidents , Buswell has been accused by retiring Liberal MLA for Carine , Katie Hodson-Thomas , of making sexist remarks to her . MLA for Roe Graham Jacobs called for a leadership spill motion , which took place on 5 May 2008 , but the motion failed and Buswell remained leader . Revelations also came out of Buswell squirrel gripping ( grabbing the testicles of ) Liberal MLA Murray Cowper in parliament . Cowper did not deny the incident , saying As far as Im concerned the matters dead and its time for everyone to move on , the media included . Buswell faced a fresh crisis when it was revealed in a Corruption and Crime Commission ( CCC ) report on 10 June 2008 that a motion moved in Parliament by his staunchest backer , Shadow Minister for Road Safety John McGrath , had been provided to him by lobbyists Brian Burke and Julian Grill . Burke had written the motion on behalf of a company that sold radar detectors . The CCC report said Mr McGraths claim he was unaware of Burkes commercial interest in the issue strained credibility . Buswell backed McGrath by claiming that he had been cleared of misconduct while McGrath refused to stand down . Three days later , Buswell sacked the Shadow Police Minister Rob Johnson after Johnson said he could not serve in the Shadow Cabinet with McGrath as Shadow Minister for Road Safety . Buswell resigned as Liberal leader and leader of the opposition on 4 August 2008 . He was replaced by Colin Barnett . Government . After resigning as leader , Buswell was granted a place on the Opposition front bench as Shadow Treasurer under new leader Colin Barnett . Following the state election in September 2008 , where the incumbent Labor government was defeated and the National Party agreed to vote with the Liberal Party in the hung parliament , Buswell was named as Treasurer in Colin Barnetts new Cabinet . On 24 April 2010 , Greens MP Adele Carles publicly stated that Buswell and herself had been engaged in an affair that lasted several months . Buswell himself gave a public statement on 26 April confirming this and that he had used a ministerial car and a government credit card to pay for accommodation for himself and Carles . On 27 April , the premier demanded , and obtained , his resignation as a member of the ministry , although Buswell continued as the member for Vasse . Buswell was cleared of any misuse of public entitlements by Public Sector Commissioner Mal Wauchopes report which was tabled to state parliament by premier Colin Barnett on 23 June 2010 . The premier indicated that Buswell would not be considered for a cabinet position until the end of the year . He was re-appointed to the ministry as Minister for Transport and Minister for Housing on 14 December 2010 . Controversies . During his political career , Buswell has been involved in a number of controversies . In January 2008 , allegations arose of an incident the previous year where Buswell had snapped the elastic bra strap of a Labor staffer . Buswell later confirmed this and publicly apologised for the incident . In April 2008 , it was alleged that Buswell had sniffed the chair of a Liberal staffer , writhing in mock sexual pleasure , which he denied , and then subsequently admitted to , apologising once more . In August 2008 , Liberal backbencher Murray Cowper mentioned that Buswell grabbed him in the crotch , but that it was an incident that had been resolved between them both . In October 2009 , Buswell admitted to filing a false claim for a living away from home allowance , which he attributed to a clerical error . He later repaid the money . The following month , another travel allowance mistake was found . In April 2010 news of an extra-marital affair with Adele Carles was reported , and in the aftermath of the affair , Buswell admitted to misusing entitlements to facilitate the affair . He and Carles were subsequently cleared by the Public Sector Commissioner of misusing entitlements . In December 2010 , Buswell took up the position of Housing and Transport Minister ; three months later it was revealed that he had committed nine speeding offences in the previous three years . In December 2012 , Carles accused Buswell of having dry humped a businessman at a party in 2011 . Buswell launched a defamation case against her ; this was subsequently settled out of court with Carles issuing written apologies to the parties involved . In March 2014 , Buswell resigned from his position as Treasurer and Transport Minister due to a mental health breakdown . In May 2014 Buswell was convicted and fined for 11 motor vehicle offences whilst holding the cabinet position of Minister for Transport . These fines related to careless driving , failing to stop at a crash and failing to report an accident on the night of 22 February 2014 . From an independent eyewitness report to police on the night , it was indicated that Buswell was suffering from impaired coordination whilst driving and after returning to his Subiaco home . The fines totalled $3,100 and his drivers licence was suspended for 12 months . Following his resignation as Transport Minister , accusations of plagiarism were made against Buswell for a report into light rail . He was accused of plagiarising large sections of a report written during a taxpayer funded trip to Europe and Asia . In an interview just prior to his defeat at the 2017 election Premier Colin Barnett stated that Buswell could have succeeded him as Premier if Buswell hadnt gone off the rails . In February 2020 , Buswell was charged with six aggravated assault charges against a woman known to him and one count of unlawful damage . The alleged offences took place over four years between 2015 and 2019 . The woman was revealed to be his ex-wife Melissa Hankinson . Buswell was subsequently prosecuted on six counts of domestic violence relating to alleged assaults on Hankinson . The trial on these charges , in the Perth Magistrates Court , is expected to conclude in late May 2021 . List of portfolios . Buswell has held the following portfolios since his election in 2005 ( both shadow and government appointments are listed ) : - 9 March 2005 – 20 March 2005 : Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs - 20 March 2005 – 22 May 2005 : Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs ; Shadow Minister for Small Business and Industrial Relations - 22 May 2005 – 8 November 2005 : Shadow Minister for Small Business and Industrial Relations - 8 November 2005 – 17 January 2008 : Deputy Leader of the Opposition ; Shadow Minister for Small Business and Industrial Relations - 17 January 2008 – 23 January 2008 : Leader of the Opposition ; Shadow Minister for Small Business and Industrial Relations - 23 January 2008 – 4 August 2008 : Leader of the Opposition ; Shadow Minister for Trade - 4 August 2008 – 6 September 2008 : Shadow Treasurer - 23 September 2008 – 28 April 2010 : Treasurer ; Minister for Commerce ; Minister for Science and Innovation ; Minister for Housing and Works - 14 December 2010 – 6 December 2011 : Minister for Transport ; Minister for Housing - 6 December 2011 – 10 July 2012 : Minister for Transport ; Minister for Housing ; Minister for Emergency Services - 10 July 2012 – 13 July 2012 : Treasurer ; Minister for Transport ; Minister for Housing ; Minister for Emergency Services - 13 July 2012 – 21 March 2013 : Treasurer ; Minister for Transport ; Minister for Emergency Services - 21 March 2013 – 11 December 2013 : Treasurer ; Minister for Transport ; Minister for Fisheries - 11 December 2013 – 10 March 2014 : Treasurer ; Minister for Transport Bibliography . - Whos Who in Australia ( 2007 ) , p . 376