Former Greens leader Bob Brown is wishing Peter Beattie well in his attempt to return to politics but says he won't be joining the former Queensland premier.
Mr Beattie, who led the Sunshine State from 1998 to 2007, will run for Labor in the federal seat of Forde at the September 7 election.
Labor believes the southeast Queensland electorate held by Liberal Bert Van Manen is winnable, given its margin of 1.6 per cent.
They also hope Mr Beattie's comeback will lift its chances across the state.
Mr Brown, who retired from the Senate last year, said the strategy could work for Labor.
"I've had folk say to me, `Maybe Bob you should knock some good Greens person out and stand too at this late stage'," he told reporters in Adelaide.
"I won't be. We've got a breadth and depth of new talent in the Greens that doesn't require us to do that.
"But good luck to Peter Beattie."
Mr Brown said the former Queensland premier would not be as much an asset to federal parliament as the Greens candidate in Forde, though he couldn't name the person standing for the party.
