A former Queensland Premier has been thrust back into the political arena and will now run for federal parliament.

Peter Beattie held the premiership of Queensland for nine years up to 2007, when he retired with an unbeaten record at the polls.

Beattie has now been brought back by the Labor party to contest the Brisbane seat of Forde, as the party pushes to undo the heavy LNP swing evident in the last state election.

Mr Beattie was seen as a reasonably popular Premier, despite his government being embroiled in controversies over electoral fraud and the health system payment errors.

The former Queensland Premier may have already gone back on his word though, once saying he would not run for federal office because of the horrible weather in Canberra. It seems Beattie’s taste for political power has outweighed his acclimation to tropical conditions.