A disgraced Australian politician who resigned from the leadership of his party's state branch earlier this week was under observation Wednesday in a Sydney hospital after an apparent suicide attempt.

John Brogden, forced to step down after calling the Asian-born wife of his political opponent a "mail-order bride", was found in his office Tuesday with self-inflicted stab wounds that doctors said did not require surgery.

Brogden, 36, stood down as leader of the opposition Liberal Party in the state of New South Wales after admitting to the racist remark and to pinching the bottom of one female reporter and making a sexual advance to another at a rowdy drinking session late last month in a Sydney hotel.

The racial slur was against Helena Carr, the Malaysian-born wife of Bob Carr, who retired four weeks ago as the longest serving premier of New South Wales. Carr served 10 years as the top politician in Australia's biggest state.

Helena Carr, an Australian resident for 40 years, recently sold the very successful publishing business she founded.

"The comments I made were absolutely and completely inappropriate," Brogden said when resigning as leader.

Brogden, who had high hopes of becoming state premier at the next election, was hauled over the coals by Prime Minister John Howard, leader of the Liberal Party.

"That sort of comment is just quite wrong," Howard said. "I know Helena Carr, and she's a very gracious person. That sort of comment should never have been made."

Brogden's attempt on his own life came on the eve of the publication of further revelations about his alleged womanising.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper, under the headline "Brogden's sordid past", reported two other female reporters making complaints about sexual advances from Brognden, who is married and has a child.