West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter embroiled in bra scandal

Melbourne, May 5 : West Australian premier Alan Carpenter has dismissed claims that he exposed a colleague's bra to fellow MPs as his political rival struggles to secure his job over the chair-sniffing incident.

While Carpenter said that he has become the victim of 'scuttlebutt allegations,' Opposition Leader Troy Buswell said he is sure that he won't be replaced by angry colleagues.

Carpenter has been accused of lifting the top of a female colleague at a karaoke party in 2004, exposing her bra to 30 Labor MPs.

He is also alleged to have put his face near the breasts of another female colleague at the time.

However, the premier has denied both incidents, insisting that the allegations are "baseless scuttlebutt designed to damage me politically".

"There is no basis to it. We had a lot of fun. No one was upset," The Australian quoted Carpenter, as saying.

"Suddenly four years later in the middle of some sensitive political issues a suggestion is run around that I, and only I apparently on the whole night, did anything that anybody was concerned about. And yet 30 or 40 people in the room didn't see a thing," he added.

On the other hand, Buswell faces a spill motion a party meeting in wake of the embarrassing chair sniffing scandal. The Liberal leader has been under intense pressure to quit after pleading guilty last week that in 2005 he sniffed the chair of a female Liberal staffer at parliament house after she had stood up.

Party whip Graham Jacobs said that he would move a spill motion at a party room meeting and support treasury spokesman Steve Thomas to take over from Buswell.

However, Buswell said that he had spoken to MPs over the weekend and had been assured of their support.

"My view is that I have had good feedback from my colleagues. I have had discussions with a large number of them over the weekend," he said.

ANI