While Qassams continue to rain down on Israel, not to mention foreign leaders for her 60th birthday celebrations, the main news item here in Perth, Western Australia is what the seat-sniffing Opposition leader may or may not have done with a furry animal.
Seat-sniffing West Australian Opposition Leader Troy Buswell has denied he once abused a quokka on Rottnest Island.
Mr Buswell, who has admitted to sniffing the chair of a former Liberal party colleague and snapping the bra of a Labor staffer, was questioned on the rumours today while attending a press conference at Parliament House.
It followed his sacking from the frontbench yesterday of former leader Paul Omodei, who said recently there would be “more stories” to emerge about Mr Buswell and that his leadership would “die the death of a thousand cuts”.
Asked if he had done anything inappropriate to a quokka, Mr Buswell replied: “No”.
Asked if he was aware of any rumours about actions involving the small marsupials, which are indigenous to Rottnest Island, Mr Buswell said: “I have absolutely no idea about these stories of quokkas on Rottnest.
“I’m not being backward in saying that I’m not a perfect individual and you know I’ve had a robust past and there may be elements of that that have proved offensive to people.
“I don’t shy away away from that at all, but I’m not aware that I’ve caused any offence to a quokka.”
Asked how the rumours had started, Mr Buswell said: “I have no idea.
“I’m not going to comment on it. All I’ve heard is people use the word quokka and then smile and laugh.
“I’m just not interested to be honest with you.”
He said none of his MPs had come to him to report the rumour.
“Members of the press have in passing mentioned the word quokka and suggested to me that something inappropriate in the past may have happened.
“Nothing has, absolutely nothing.”
Quokkas on Rottnest have been targets of abuse before, with former Wallabies rugby backrower Scott Fava fined last year for mistreating one of the marsupials during a drunken incident that became known as the “quokka shocker”.
Mr Buswell today said he found it “quite remarkable that some of these bizarre accusations get legs and due consideration.”
