Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has refused to apologise for saying Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman is going to end up behind bars.

Ms Bligh made the claim in a heated parliamentary session yesterday during an attack on Mr Newman and on the business dealings of his brother-in-law Seb Monsour.

Mr Monsour is reportedly being investigated by the FBI over claims that his company may have violated US trade secret laws by using US Defence Department mapping technology.

His company was pitching for a $30 million disaster relief contract in the wake of last year's floods. He denies the allegation.

Ms Bligh said Mr Newman had conflicts between his public aspirations and personal financial interests and accused him of using his former position as Brisbane lord mayor to financially benefit his family.

"When [jailed former government minister] Gordon Nuttall happened, we referred him to the CMC. I gave evidence against him in court," she said.

"Those people are [in jail] and Campbell Newman will end up there as well."

Mr Newman is not an MP so was not in the House to defend himself yesterday, leaving his colleague, Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney, to ask for an apology this morning.

"Given the Premier has refused to apologise for her meltdown yesterday, has she not herself suffered a failure of judgment, a failure of character, and failure of leadership, and shown that it is she that is not fit to be the Premier of Queensland," he said.

"I ask, will the Premier today admit that she went too far with her bizarre claims yesterday and will the Premier apologise to Campbell Newman for her unfortunate loss in control?"

But Ms Bligh refused to back down.

"I may well have been a little passionate yesterday - a little too passionate perhaps - but I'm driven by an anger when I see this sort of stuff; it is fishy," she said.

"I grew up in a Queensland that everybody in the country knew was crooked and when I see any whiff, any whiff, of a return to a crooked Queensland I do get angry."

Newman responds

With all opinion surveys pointing to the end of Labor's long period in office, it would take something extraordinary to turn things around for the State Government.

Many mining and business leaders are so sure the Government is gone, that they now openly criticise it.

Labor is pouring resources into fighting off Mr Newman in the inner Brisbane seat of Ashgrove, and both parties reportedly claim polling shows they can win the seat.

Mr Newman has made several mistakes during his campaign to become premier, including mishandling earlier criticism over declaring his interests.

But today he is responding calmly and declaring everything is on the public record.

"I'm big enough to take care of myself," he said.

"I'm not going to be distracted by the fact that the Premier's rolling around in the mud."

The son of two former Howard government ministers describes himself as an honest toiler.

"I'm a regular guy who's trying to a job for my state because I'm passionate about it, because I know that Anna Bligh and Labor have run this place into the ground," he said.

Mr Newman says the government has its back against the wall.