By Nathan Paull July 04, 2012
Having already urged the man accusing sidelined Speaker Peter Slipper of sexual harassment to go to the police, Howard-era minister Mal Brough now wants to seize Mr Slipper's seat as well.
Mr Brough said yesterday he had nominated for Liberal National Party preselection for Mr Slipper's Sunshine Coast seat of Fisher.
The confirmation came as mining magnate Clive Palmer announced he would not contest Treasurer Wayne Swan's Brisbane seat of Lilley as he had previously indicated, but would nominate for another Queensland seat.
Mr Brough refused to give a reason for his nomination or comment on allegations surrounding Mr Slipper that have led to court action against him.
But in May, he admitted to secretly meeting Mr Slipper's former staffer James Ashby three times and telling him to go to police and take legal action over allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of taxi vouchers. The court action that followed led Mr Slipper to step down as Speaker.
Meanwhile, Mr Palmer said he would announce ''in the next few days'' which Queensland seat he was eyeing, after deciding not to contest Lilley.
Mr Palmer said there were already ''a number of first-class potential candidates'' for the LNP in Lilley and he wanted to run somewhere where he was known by voters and could contribute to the Labor government losing power.
There are only seven other Labor seats in Queensland, including that of former prime minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr Swan said it was ''utterly humiliating'' for Mr Palmer that Mr Palmer had decided not to run against him. AAP