Troy Buswell, former WA treasurer, agrees to pay for ministerial car damage (ABC)

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Former WA treasurer Troy Buswell has agreed to pay for the damage he caused to his ministerial car and several other cars when he drove home from a wedding in February.

The State Government's insurer RiskCover issued a statement on Friday night, saying Mr Buswell had withdrawn his claim for insurance cover and would pay for the damage himself.

This includes reimbursing RiskCover for the $15,000 it already paid for repairs to his ministerial car.

RiskCover said it received a reply from Mr Buswell's lawyers on Friday after requesting further information relating to the crash.

"The response stated that Mr Buswell withdraws his claim for insurance cover from RiskCover under the Department of the Premier and Cabinet insurance policy," it said in the statement.

"Mr Buswell will, from his own funds, pay for any damage caused to the third party vehicles when the Government vehicle he was driving on 22/23 February 2014 collided with them.

"Mr Buswell will pay RiskCover the amount it paid to repair the damage caused to the Government vehicle."

The Government said through a spokesman it would not be commenting.

Ongoing political fallout

Mr Buswell's settlement comes after Premier Colin Barnett this week said he expected the Member for Vasse to pay for the damage, amid ongoing political fallout from the crash.

The Opposition has accused the Government of trying to cover up what happened on the night in question.

Last week, shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt said the Government had tried to "hoodwink" RiskCover into paying for the damage, and in June a report by a Labor-dominated parliamentary committee found "systemic failure at a number of levels" by police investigating it.

In February, the then-treasurer smashed into several parked cars in Subiaco while driving home from a wedding.

The owner of one of those cars last week told a media outlet she was offered $3,000 by RiskCover on the proviso she had no contact with the media.

The letter of offer also stated that she agree to not commence any legal action against Mr Buswell.

In the wake of the crash, Mr Buswell relinquished both his Treasury and Transport portfolios, and was fined and suspended from driving for a year.

Paying up the 'right thing': commentator

Murdoch University political commentator Dr Ian Cook said Mr Buswell had done the "right thing" politically by paying for the damage.

"It's a sensible decision on his behalf - he was ending up in a rather impossible position and it was causing significant embarassment more generally," he said

"It's been a huge headache from the very beginning, in the first instance because they lost a talented minister ... but also it's been part of the problems Colin Barnett has had in terms of being able to project a strong leadership."

Dr Cook said Mr Barnett's comments this week would have contributed to Mr Buswell's decision.

"There'll be a lot of will inside the party to move on and get on the front foot, because they've been on the back foot for a while," he said.

Mr Buswell has been contacted for comment.

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