Former Speaker Peter Slipper announced he will recontest his Queensland seat. Source: AAP
FORMER Speaker Peter Slipper says he faces a David and Goliath contest to retain his federal seat of Fisher after vowing to fight for a ninth term in office.
Mr Slipper announced on Thursday he will recontest his Queensland seat as an independent, up against former Howard minister Mal Brough, who was accused of conspiring to bring sexual harassment claims against him to court.
"It is a David and Goliath effort, every election is a challenge," he told reporters outside his Sunshine Coast electorate office on Thursday.
"This is my most difficult election ever because I'm up against the major parties but one of the reasons I'm standing is to provide real choice for local people."
Mr Slipper admits his family has felt the toll of the past 18 months in which he's been accused of sexually harassing staffer James Ashby, charged with misusing expenses and resigned as Speaker over offensive text messages.
"We've all made mistakes and I'm sure that you've made mistakes, and any mistake I've made, you guys have tried to report. But we all make mistakes as we go through life," he told reporters.
His wife Inge-Jane Hall stood by him throughout the time and was with him again on Thursday, speaking up for her husband and their marriage.
"You just don't understand him and I think that's really sad," she said.
"I do want to say to people that our marriage is real, I've had to listen to rumours spread throughout this community about how our marriage is not real, that we've divorced and all those sorts of things.
"I do love my husband ... he's a really good guy."
The sexual harassment case was thrown out by Federal Court Justice Stephen Rares, who found Mr Ashby's predominant purpose for bringing the case was to pursue a political attack against his former boss.
"The LNP candidate Mal Brough and other LNP and Liberal Party figures were deeply involved," Mr Slipper said on Thursday.
Mr Slipper resigned from the Liberal National Party (LNP) in 2011 after then prime minister Julia Gillard appointed him speaker of the House of Representatives.
Despite being at long odds to keep the seat he has held since 1993, Mr Slipper was optimistic.
"I'm very confident to be judged by the people of Fisher," he said.
"The messages that I get back from the community, particularly since the Justice Rares decision, is that people have seen through the plot that was set up against me."
Mr Slipper was coy when asked who he would direct his preferences to.
"One doesn't decide what happens with preferences until nominations close. They have closed, but of course those who have nominated will not be announced until tomorrow," he said.
"I'll be making the appropriate decisions at the appropriate time."
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