Sunshine Coast MP Mal Brough says he will vigorously defend a defamation suit brought against him by mining magnate Clive Palmer.
In August, Mr Palmer claimed Mr Brough had approached him to fund a sexual harassment case against former Speaker Peter Slipper. Mr Brough denied the claims.
Mr Palmer later lodged an $800,000 defamation suit against the new Member for Fisher.
Mr Brough, who won the Sunshine Coast seat for the LNP at the September federal election, says he will staunchly defend the case.
"I have 28 days to lodge my defence. I've done that, or I've done the work with my lawyers, and they'll do whatever is necessary," he told the ABC on Wednesday.
"We will defend that case very vigorously. It won't distract me from the job that I have to do here."
The defamation action is the latest development following a sexual harassment case lodged against Mr Slipper by former staffer James Ashby.
The case was thrown out in December by Federal Court judge Steven Rares, who said Mr Ashby had "pursued a political attack" against his former boss "in combination" with others, including Mr Brough.
After the federal court ruling, Mr Brough said he'd done nothing wrong, and had acted appropriately at all times.
Meanwhile, Mr Palmer's own bid to enter parliament remains unresolved.
There will be a recount of every single vote in the neighbouring Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, after Mr Palmer finished just seven votes ahead of his LNP opponent Ted O'Brien.
Share
