Peter Beattie's return to politics sends Queensland Parliament into a tizz Beattie wants to be 'PM Pete' Former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie will challenge for the federal seat of Forde in a "huge boost" for Labor but he is a "political animal" and "wants the top job one day." It took just two words to send the Queensland Parliament into a tizz: Peter Beattie. Mr Beattie, as that rare political creature able to appeal to all sides of politics, has loomed large as a spectre in the halls of George Street. In March, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman was able to laugh about the man they called the "Teflon Premier" [because "nothing stuck" to him] telling reporters he "missed having him [Mr Beattie] around to actually talk to and to enjoy sort of some of his political repartee." Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie. "I've always enjoyed his company," Mr Newman said earlier this year. He gave me a fair run as lord mayor of Brisbane and I'll always be appreciative of that. But on Thursday, just hours after news of Mr Beattie's return to Queensland politics broke, it was a different story. "The man who never wanted to be in politics again is now going to be the saviour of the federal Labor party , running for Forde," deputy premier Jeff Seeney said, to rambunctious LNP members. I think the old band is being put together, the old team is back in town. Mr Seeney's enthusiastic tirade was momentarily stopped while the question, which had been put to him by an LNP MP, was rephrased to make it relevant to his portfolio. The word terms "planning projects" and "infrastructure" were deemed enough to allow Mr Seeney to continue and he happily accepted the opportunity. "The once proud Labor party has had to resurrect a member of this House who led the worst government in Queensland and the record of that government will be examined in the days ahead," Mr Seeney said, having to raise his voice to be heard over the laughter of his colleagues. The king of bull dust, the king of bull dust is now going to try and support his long lost and loving friend Kevin Rudd in federal parliament. The "health crisis," the "water crisis" and the "electricity crisis" were laid at Mr Beattie's feet by Mr Seeney. By the time his turn had expired, Mr Seeney could not be heard over the laughs and comments being yelled out across the chamber, fuelled by the shock of the announcement, which came after a late night sitting for Queensland MPs. Treasurer Tim Nicholls was next. "I am able to tell the House a little bit about the former premier Peter Beattie's economic record and the alternative views," he began. It is Ekka time here in Queensland and Brisbane and surely the clowns should be in Sideshow Alley, not down at Labor headquarters. Because now they are now so desperate that they are dragging out a former Queensland ... self-confessed media tart to save the furniture here in Queensland. They have dusted him off, they have dragged him out of the cupboard, they have propped him up, it's like Weekend at Bernie's. The popular culture references didn't stop there - Mr Nicholls later referred to Mr Beattie's political return as "Night of the Living Dead." Transport Minister Scott Emerson went one better, telling parliament it was time to "charge up the flux capacitor" because it was "Back to the Future" time. "We know that Peter Beattie is all talk and no action," he said. Health Minister Lawrence Springborg paid credit to his wife's Nostradamus-like prediction two years ago, after listening to a radio report featuring Mr Beattie and his wife, Heather, talking about his retirement from politics. "He basically declared himself a self-confessed yesterday's man," Mr Springborg said. He actually said 'and I really don't care if I am never heard of again and nobody ever reports my name again', to which my wife promptly retorted, 'he is going to run for federal politics',. The laughter was loud, but quietened in time for Mr Springborg to continue with a warning for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: "I just say, Kevin, you are in deep trouble." By the end of question time, Mr Seeney, Mr Nicholls, Mr Emerson, Mr Springborg, and Local Government Minister David Crisafulli had all taken a turn lambasting Mr Beattie's record. But Premier Campbell Newman was notably absent from the battling order during the most animated session in the House in months.