Disgraced politician Andrew Broad has declared he made a "dumb mistake" when he used a dating website to meet a younger woman while overseas, revealing he decided to quit politics to avoid becoming a "laughing stock".

Key points: Nationals MP quit after New Idea revealed he'd used "sugar baby" dating site in Hong Kong

Nationals MP quit after New Idea revealed he'd used "sugar baby" dating site in Hong Kong Mr Broad said politics had made him "not as nice a person"

Mr Broad said politics had made him "not as nice a person" Six people, including two women, have nominated for Mr Broad's Victorian seat of Mallee

The Nationals MP announced he was resigning from politics last month, after New Idea published allegations he had used a "sugar baby" site to meet a woman while at a conference in Hong Kong.

In his first media interview since the scandal broke, Mr Broad told local newspaper the Sunraysia Daily he did not want to remain in politics as a "diminished figure".

"I probably could have toughed it out and let the storm blow over, stepped back from the ministry and maybe could have won the seat … but for what?" Mr Broad told the newspaper.

He also said politics had taken a huge toll on his personal life, and that the job had made him "not as nice a person".

"I think I'd be lucky to have spent 10 weeks at home last year.

"That's no excuse for meeting someone who wasn't my wife and having dinner with her. I'm not saying it is [but] the job does have huge effects on family life," Mr Broad is quoted as saying.

Nominations for Mr Broad's Victorian seat of Mallee, which is one of the safest Coalition electorates in the country, closed on Friday afternoon.

Six people are seeking preselection for the seat, two of whom are women.

One of them will be preselected on January 19.

Mr Broad said he would not be attending the preselection, however he did tell the newspaper he believed the National Party needed to increase its number of female representatives.

Of the Nationals' 22 MPs and senators in Parliament, only two are women.