In the elections of 28 June 1904 and 27 October 1905, he contested the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Menzies as a Labor candidate, but was defeated on both occasions by the incumbent Henry Gregory.

Ultimately, the election was declared void, and a by-election was held on 20 November, which Gregory won by 56 votes.

He took his seat on 1 July, serving as a Labor member until the conscription crisis of 1917, when he was expelled from the party as a pro-conscriptionist, and joined the Nationalists.

[citation needed] One of Richard Buzacott's brothers Nicholas was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1899 to 1933.

[3] Another brother, Roderick Buzacott was a major South Australian Farm Implement Manufacturer in the town of Blyth, located near Clare, where they were born and raised.Another brother, Alexander Herbert Stanley Buzacott also went to Western Australia (Kalgoolie and then Perth)- some of his descendants have now returned to Adelaide, South Australia