MP Howard Hobbs denies employing "secret lover" Ann Leahy Howard Hobbs says he was not in a de facto relationship with his electorate officer. VETERAN Newman Government MP Howard Hobbs has denied accusations he has been employing his secret lover as an electorate officer. The Sunday Mail has obtained two letters of complaint alleging Mr Hobbs has for years conducted a clandestine relationship with his long-time electorate officer, Ann Leahy. If true, it means Mr Hobbs would be in breach of Queensland Parliament's rules. But while the veteran MP admitted he was "no bloody angel," he strongly denied claims he was in a de facto relationship with his electorate officer, chalking up the allegations to jealously and politics. SCANDAL RETURNS: Former "mistress" Leahy endorsed by Liberal National Party Mr Hobbs admitted Ms Leahy used to rent a room from him and they went on a holiday to Hawaii together in 2012, where she paid her own way. The letters, sent recently to Clerk of Parliament Neil Laurie from two anonymous sources, come after Ms Leahy was preselected to replace the retiring Mr Hobbs in his ultra-safe western Queensland electorate of Warrego. In 1998 Ms Leahy was at the centre of a salacious scandal as a 25-year-old employed in Mr Hobbs" ministerial office when his then wife claimed MPs were conducting taxpayer-funded affairs with staff. The revelation cost Mr Hobbs his Cabinet career. Parliament's rules specifically prohibit MPs from employing their spouse, including married and de facto partners. One of the letters from a person identifying themselves as a "disgruntled long-time member of the LNP" accused the pair of being "brazenly dishonest" about their relationship. "It is also hard to believe that they have managed to deceive the Parliament of Queensland for so many years when in fact it is general knowledge that Howard and Ann have lived together in the same house in Roma for many years,"" it states. The second letter from a person identifying themselves as a female LNP member claimed it was well known in Warrego that the pair lived together. "They have been on many holidays together and as recently as January 2012 a trip to Hawaii ... and are frequently seen entering and leaving the same motel room,"" it said. The woman claimed that Ms Leahy confessed several years ago about her relationship to Mr Hobbs. "In July 2009 Ms Leahy told me that she was concerned about another woman's close association with Mr Hobbs and was very upset at the time, telling me she and Mr Hobbs were in an intimate long-term relationship,"" she wrote. But Mr Hobbs said he believed the accusation sprung from politics and jealousy because Ms Leahy was the first woman preselected to run by a conservative party in politics. I just think it's jealousy out there with some people. It's purely political," he said. There's some men with their noses out of joint. We've never, ever claimed to be a de facto couple, it's not true, we're good mates. He said Ms Leahy rented a room from him in his house but "that was quite a while ago" and she had her own home. Ann has her house, I have mine. It's the way it is," he said. Mr Hobbs said they did go to Hawaii together, but said that it was "just one of those things." "I'm a single person, she's a single person, there's no reason we can't go somewhere together," he said. He said his accusers did not have the courage to put their names to their letters so what they alleged should be taken with a grain of salt.