Qld MP thought Palmer offer was coming

A Newman government MP went to police because he thought he was about to be offered an inappropriate inducement to join Clive Palmer's party.

Liberal National Party MP Michael Hart says he was approached by a Palmer party envoy on April 9, about jumping ship.

He said he believed he was about to receive an inappropriate offer, but he ended the conversation before it could happen.

Mr Hart is refusing to say who from the Palmer party approached him. He said the envoy had asked him: "What can I offer you to come across and join the Palmer party?"

"Alarm bells started ringing loud and clear in my head at that stage," Mr Hart told AAP on Tuesday.

"The words that were used I took as a form of inducement or that there was about to be an inducement. I didn't want that to happen.

"I'm not a lawyer. I don't know where the line is in the sand on this particular issue and that's why I reported the matter to police and cut the conversation off."

The MP's claims follow Sunday's allegations by Premier Campbell Newman that Mr Palmer had tried to "buy" his government.

Mr Newman also questioned whether inducements were used to get three Northern Territory MPs to join Mr Palmer's party over the weekend.

Mr Hart was asked on Tuesday about the timing of his claims, so soon after Mr Newman's comments but almost three weeks on from the Palmer party's approach to him.

"I'm a straight shooter. I tell it like it is," he said.

He said he didn't go to the media, but rather was approached by a newspaper to confirm if there'd been any such incident.

Mr Palmer, who is suing Mr Newman for his comments, has told AAP he had no knowledge of an approach to Mr Hart and doesn't use intermediaries to do his political work.

It's illegal in Queensland to offer an MP any type of incentive to influence their electoral behaviour.

The Palmer United Party's Queensland leader Alex Douglas has told AAP someone representing the party did approach Mr Hart, but claims about any inducement are entirely false.

"Yes there's people who have spoken to him. Yes they have," Dr Douglas said.

"It was basically to say: 'Michael we know you're not going to be pre-selected or endorsed by the party (at the next election) and if you want to have a career you are welcome to come and discuss that with us."

AAP has asked police to confirm they received a complaint from Mr Hart, and when it was lodged.