MP Kevin Rudd in Parliament this week. Picture: ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
Kevin Rudd has scotched any suggestions that he may try again for the Labor leadership, saying there are now ''no circumstances'' under which he would return.
Mr Rudd said on Friday through a spokesman that he had been consistent that he would not challenge for the leadership and that he would contest the next election as a local member of parliament.
''That position hasn't changed,'' the spokesman said.
''Furthermore, Mr Rudd wishes to make 100 per cent clear to all members of the parliamentary Labor Party, including his own supporters, that there are no circumstances under which he will return to the Labor Party leadership in the future.''
Mr Rudd refused to stand as a candidate for the leadership on Thursday after Prime Minister Julia Gillard caved into demands from frontbencher Simon Crean that a spill be called.
The ructions have caused several members of the party to resign their positions including Rudd supporter and Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen, who quit on Friday.
In a press conference at Parliament House, Mr Bowen said he ''took the decision that the best thing for the Labor Party and for Australia would be for Kevin Rudd to return to the Prime Ministership''.
''Having expressed that view, having worked towards it . . . I decided to resign from the Gillard cabinet,'' Mr Bowen said.
Other ministers who supported Mr Rudd would ''reach their own conclusions'', Mr Bowen said, but for himself he thought resigning was the ''appropriate and honourable'' decision to take.
''I completely respect the decision that other ministers may reach.''
Mr Bowen, who will recontest his western Sydney seat of McMahon at the September election, also confirmed that the Rudd camp had advised the former prime minister before the spill that the ballot would be close but they ''could not guarantee an outcome''.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said in a statement on Friday that she had accepted Mr Bowen's resignation and thanked him for his contribution to the ministry, particularly for his service in the immigration portfolio.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged his conduct in offering his resignation was honourable.
Earlier on Friday, Ms Gillard said she anticipated a few more people would be considering their positions after the attempted spill.
''They will do that. I will also consider the view as to what is best for the government over coming months, for the nation over coming months,'' she told ABC radio in Melbourne.
She also said that she was surprised that Mr Rudd didn't challenge after she called the spill but the leadership issue was over.
''I was a bit surprised given all of the build up, that Kevin didn't stand, but having chosen not to stand that does underline that this is all definitely over,'' she told Today FM radio.
The Prime Minister said that former parliamentary secretary Richard Marles, who resigned from his roles on Thursday night, had done ''an honourable thing''.
She said the new cabinet team would be the best team, not the best team for herself, and again declared the leadership issue over.
''I think if anybody wanders into a journalists' office in the future from the Labor Party claiming to have a numbers sheet they will be met with gales of laughter. This is over,'' Ms Gillard said.
''I think political watchers will know that for some period of time there's been an undercurrent in our party and it was dealt with yesterday and brought to an end.''
In a press conference from Washington on Friday, Foreign Minister Bob Carr reaffirmed his support for Ms Gillard and said Mr Bowen's resignation was a matter for him.
''I wish him well. I think that's unnecessary. I think the Prime Minister would regard it as unnecessary. It's a decision he's made. He wants to concentrate on holding his seat at the election, I can understand that,'' Senator Carr said.
''The fact is I'm on the record stating . . . my emphatic support for the Prime Minister. As recently as three days ago I said the Prime Minister has my unqualified support. That's on the record.
''I think she's renewed and reaffirmed her leadership and the Labor Party's got to put behind it this period of leadership tension. No one can deny it's been there. It's been an irritant.''
Cabinet minister Greg Combet agreed with Ms Gillard that the leadership issue was at an end and called on the federal party to drop internal divisions and prepare to fight the election.
Mr Combet said Thursday's ''fiasco'' topped off many months of destabilisation spurred by people backing Mr Rudd's return.
''Kevin Rudd didn't front up - that says it all,'' he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
On the resignation of several Rudd supporters Mr Conbet said: ''With the fiasco that was instigated yesterday by some of my colleagues, unfortunately, those who don't feel that they have all the confidence necessary in Julia Gillard as leader, I think it is time that they have a look at themselves.''
Immediately following the spill, Mr Rudd's chief numbers man Joel Fitzgibbon, and his fellow whips Ed Husic and Janelle Saffin, all resigned their positions.
Arts and Regional Australia Minister Simon Crean was sacked from cabinet after igniting the leadership spill.
Mr Crean said he did not plan to quit politics and would stand at the election in September. Mr Crean told ABC radio on Friday that a number of people had urged him, as a party elder, to bring some sanity to the leadership situation.
''There also had to be a healing in the process. It's not the first time that there have been tensions within a party and it won't be the last,'' Mr Crean said.
''(But) we've got to be bigger than individual egos.''
Mr Crean said it was nonsense there had been a ticket between himself and Mr Rudd. He said Mr Rudd wanted Leader of the House Anthony Albanese as his deputy.
He said on Thursday after the attempted spill that he was surprised Mr Rudd had not run for the leadership, saying despite all the agitation ''the pretender'' did not stand up.
''He should have run; there's no question about that because I think that itself could have been an important cleansing for the party,'' he told ABC's 7.30.
Dismissing a potential future move by Mr Rudd, Mr Crean said: ''There's no way he can countenance or credibly argue his position could be taken seriously . . . I don't think Kevin can credibly mount the argument to anyone, including in the media; sell the dummy again that he's got the numbers.''
Mr Husic told Sky News on Thursday night that stepping down was the ''right thing to do''.
''People know I've been friends with Kevin for many years and I don't want ambiguity or question marks hanging over my position,'' Mr Husic said.
''I think on principle this is the right thing to do . . . We should in the interests of getting this all cleared out and moving on . . . given the Prime Minister's emphatic win and re-endorsement.''
Mr Marles said on Thursday: ''In the circumstances of today's events I believed this to be the appropriate course.''
''It really is now time to be standing right behind Julia Gillard,'' he told Sky News.
Mr Marles said he did not have any "hard feelings" over Mr Rudd's decision not to stand.
''The idea of a Rudd prime ministership is now over and I do think that this needed to be resolved so in that sense I think the party after a difficult day is in a better position at the end of the day than it was at the beginning.''
Mr Fitzgibbon said Mr Rudd was ''good on his pledge right to the end''.
''I think it's time for healing. It's just so critical with an election not so far away,'' he said.
With Adrian Lowe and AAP