Other Peoples' Taint
SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian political leader broke down at a news conference Tuesday as he admitted that he had sniffed the chair of a female colleague, local media reported.
The confession came from the leader of the conservative Liberal Party in Western Australia, Troy Buswell, who has previously owned up to snapping the bra strap of an opposition party staffer.
Buswell told reporters at the televised news conference in Mandurah south of the state capital of Perth that he would not resign his post, which puts him in line to become state premier if his party wins elections next year.
But tears welled in his eyes and he choked up when asked how his family had reacted to the wide publicity given to the incident since the story became public at the weekend, the national AAP news agency said.
After a brief break for a drink of water, he replied: "These are difficult issues for me to deal with and they are very difficult issues for my family to deal with."
The woman involved in the incident, a Liberal Party staffer who does not want to be named, said Buswell sniffed the chair she had been sitting on at his Parliament House office in December 2005.
The incident took place in front of other staff and was done to get a laugh, she told the West Australian newspaper Tuesday after Buswell had refused to confirm the initial reports.
"I was shocked and outraged and I told him," the woman said.
Buswell has previously admitted to snapping the bra of a staffer for the Labor Party, which governs the state, and has been accused by a retiring lawmaker of making sexist remarks to her.
The deputy leader of the state Liberal Party stood by Buswell, describing him as a "rough diamond with a robust sense of humour".
Buswell needed to change his behaviour, Kim Hames told reporters, but added there was no one to replace him as state leader of the Liberal Party.
The Liberals were in power nationally for 11 years until former prime minister John Howard was ousted in November elections.
Ye gads, that's gross. I can't stand the smell from the chair at work after several office slugs have been sweating on it for the whole day by the time I use it. What is it with people?
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Originally Posted by Ferrets54
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On the actual news. 
who sniffs girls' bike seats." I don't think he falls into this category.
