Luckily for the ex-Premier, Constable Fred Swiggins of Kingaroy Police guessed exactly what had happened.
"As soon as I got to the hospital and saw Sir Joh's wheelchair was also missing, I said to myself: "Bloody Beattie's done it again'."
Alerted by their Kingaroy colleagues as to where they should look for the state's 92-year-old former leader, police in Brisbane swooped on Premier Dr Peter Beattie's home in inner-north Brisbane home and found Sir Johannes still dressed in his hospital clothes and sleeping peacefully in his wheelchair, in a spare room.
It is understood the Premier's chauffeur had just pulled up outside the Wilston Heights home, to whisk the Premier and Sir Joh to the Queensland Government jet to fly to an orchid show in Babinda in far-north Queensland, in the marginal Labor seat of Mulgrave, formerly a stronghold of the National Party.
Dr Beattie could now face contempt of court charges after a local magistrate issued a restraining order against Dr Beattie over a similar incident. (See separate story this issue)
"If I hadn't been in court that day, who knows how many appearances Sir John might have been forced to make," Constable Swiggins said.
The Premier contacted The Bug last night to say he had done nothing wrong.
"Like Sir Joh, all I have ever tried to do is provide good strong stable government for the people of Queensland.
"Sir Joh has never complained once about coming along to spread that
message."
