Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he's not surprised by polling showing his new star candidate Peter Beattie well behind the coalition in the seat of Forde.
Mr Rudd announced on Thursday that the former Queensland premier would replace Labor's candidate Des Hardman in the Brisbane seat, just four weeks out from the September 7 election.
Labor hopes Mr Beattie will give Labor a better chance of winning the seat from the coalition's Bert Van Manen.
But a later ReachTEL poll conducted for the Seven Network showed Mr Van Manen leading Mr Beattie 54 to 46.
"We knew we were behind in Forde before Peter Beattie came back and decided to be our candidate," Mr Rudd told the Seven Network on Friday.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Labor is the underdog right across the country, he said.
"Peter Beattie has his job cut out for him but I know he's a person who'll rise to the challenge."
Mr Rudd was also asked about The Courier-Mail's Friday front page, showing Mr Rudd and Mr Beattie with the headline "Send in the Clown".
Mr Rudd joked it was another example of the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp's "fair and balanced" reporting.
"That's a matter for them, it's a free country," he said.
Asked about the ReachTEL poll, Mr Beattie said he knew he had to get out and "win hearts and minds" in Forde.
"I have got the biggest fight of my political life ahead of me," he told the Seven Network.
Mr Beattie shrugged off The Courier-Mail's clown headline but warned the media about trying to sway public opinion.
Asked if News Ltd was picking on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, he said:
"I know one thing - that no newspaper can tell Australians what to do or think.
"It doesn't matter which newspaper it is - whether we are talking about Fairfax, Murdoch, it doesn't matter. If you tell Australians something, they will tell you to go jump."
He said rough headlines were part of the political game.
"I copped one this morning. You just have to get over it and move on."
Former prime minister John Howard said Mr Beattie's return was "an interesting development".
"But I don't think it's going to give the Labor party quite the advantage they imagine," he told reporters while campaigning on the NSW Central Coast.
Mr Howard added that he didn't have any plans to follow Mr Beattie's lead and return to politics.
"I've had my run," he said.
"I was very well satisfied with the opportunities the Australian people gave me to serve them.'
Education Minister Bill Shorten said the furious nature of the coalition's reaction meant Mr Beattie had them spooked.
"When your enemies are saying he's no good, you're probably onto a good thing," Mr Shorten told AAP on Friday.
"Peter Beattie was a move the Liberals didn't see coming and they're ... unhappy about it."
Mr Shorten also shrugged off a ReachTel poll putting the LNP's incumbent in Forde, Bert Van Manen, well ahead of the former Queensland premier.
"Peter Beattie's got a track record of standing up for Queensland and politics needs people of his distinction," he said.
