Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has expressed sympathy for a rookie MP accused of misusing taxpayer funds.

Claims of sexual harassment, financial mismanagement and improper business dealings have mounted against Scott Driscoll in recent weeks.

Mr Newman has so far resisted opposition calls to personally refer Mr Driscoll to the state’s corruption watchdog.

The Courier-Mail on Tuesday claimed Mr Driscoll had used his electorate office and staff to run a retail lobby group.

Mr Driscoll defended himself in parliament, saying he had done nothing wrong other than failing to declare that his wife received more than $500 in income from a private company she runs.

He said he would happily rectify the oversight and has referred himself to the integrity commissioner, confident of independent confirmation he’s in the clear.

Mr Newman told parliament the corruption watchdog, the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), had already investigated some of the claims and had found no evidence of wrongdoing.

He expressed sympathy, saying he had a similar experience to Mr Driscoll during the state election campaign last year.

“I myself, and my wife, know only too well about … trial by media, but particularly the tactics of the Australian Labor Party to use the CMC as a political weapon to attack people,” he told parliament.

“To attack people, to take their reputations down.”

He said everyone deserved a fair go, and he’d seen nothing to indicate Mr Driscoll was unfit for office.

But Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said very serious concerns remained about the MP’s conduct.

“We have heard today a very brief explanation from the member for Redcliffe … and it does not go to the root of all the questions that need to be answered,” she told parliament.

Mr Driscoll has been accused of inappropriately using his electorate office to run the Queensland Retail Traders and Shopkeepers Association, of which he was formerly president.

He’s also faced sexual harassment claims from former employees of the association, and faced calls to produce the group’s books, amid claims about $700,000 was spent inappropriately.

His wife has faced allegations of inappropriately receiving taxpayer funds from another organisation, the Regional Community Association of Moreton Bay, which Mr Driscoll had been involved with.

But the MP says he’s the target of a campaign of “falsehoods” and the attacks on his wife have been particularly upsetting.

“She doesn’t deserve the politically driven personal vilification she has received in recent weeks,” he said.

“All for being the wife of a member of the Queensland LNP government.”