Fast rail company boss had Nationals links

The chairman of a company given a share of $20 million in taxpayers' money for a fast rail business case was a former Nationals candidate.

Labor senator Murray Watt told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday Consolidated Land and Rail Australia chairman Nick Cleary was the former vice-chairman of the NSW Nationals and contested a federal election for the party.

CLARA's proposal to build fast rail from Melbourne to regional Victorian centre Shepparton was in March selected for a viability study funded by the federal government.