Mr Gordon yesterday confirmed he was seeking preselection in Lyons and Premier Lara Giddings is set to announce his endorsement today at a meeting of all candidates in Launceston.

Mr Gordon quit the struggling government-owned business in June after six years at the helm.

At the time, he said it was the right time to go as the logging agency prepared to implement the forestry peace deal. 

Late yesterday, Mr Gordon told  The Examiner  he had only decided to contest the election yesterday and backed the Premier's decision to rule out another deal with the Greens and introduce pro-pulp mill legislation.

``Tasmania needs to rebuild,'' Mr Gordon said.

``We need to stop talking about what we can't do and talk about what we can do.''

Forestry is expected to be a key issue in Lyons, with anger over the forestry peace legislation a major contributor to a massive swing against Labor at the September federal election.

Mr Gordon said he believed there was a future for a ``clever forest industry''.

``To do that we need to have the right set of skills and experience in the Parliament,'' Mr Gordon said. 

He joins incumbent Rebecca White and former Labor minister and forestry peace deal critic David Llewellyn, Swansea businessman Darren Clark and former Pontville Detention Centre employee Jessey Dillon on the Labor Lyons ticket. 

Mr Gordon stood unsuccessfully in the same electorate at the 1990 federal election.

Army reservist and University of Tasmania tutor Adam Gore has also been endorsed by Labor in Bass.

Labor candidates will converge today on Launceston, where they will formally endorse the decision to rule out forming any power-sharing partnership with the Greens no matter what the result of the March 15 election. 

The Liberals have already named all 25 candidates while the Greens are not expected to finalise their line-up until closer to the election.