On back of an apologetic ride of insults and crude public displays of flirting, Liberal MP John Brogden has resigned as the New South Wales leader of the Opposition.
Floundering to find footing in the fair grounds of a political chicken fight, Brogden's chance at happiness was stolen weeks earlier when the then Premier Bob Carr announced his resignation from the Labor Party and the political life in general.
Never quite able to deliver the same level of vitriol to his new foil, Premier Morris Iemma, the certainty of Brogden's resolution weakened as the days grew tired.
Sensing an aberration in the equilibrium of state politics and robbed of a chance to defeat Carr at a new state election, Brogden saw no other choice but to leave in a flame of controversy and level of spectacle that would hopefully rival his already exited rival.
Labelling the wife of Bob Carr, Helena, a mail-order bride and flirting indecently with a female journalist set in motion the spiral that afforded the Member for Pittwater to leave.
For the absence of victory a trade returns a controversy.
31/08/05 - Trumping his own recent disgrace, Brogden was found unconscious at his Mona Vale office by police late into the night and early into the morning. Seeing no other out and with the pressure of the racial slur upon him, as well as new attacks to follow, Brogden failed to find enough pencil holders.
Written on Monday, 29 August 2005