Former Labor minister Greg Combet says Julia Gillard was prepared to stand down as prime minister to support him in the 2013 Labor leadership tussle.
Mr Combet said he spoke to Ms Gillard in June 2013 shortly before the spill when Kevin Rudd reclaimed the prime ministership.
The former climate change minister suggested a caucus ballot was needed to resolve the leadership issue once and for all, given both the party and Ms Gillard were in "a lot of trouble".
"We couldn't have had two leaders going to the election fighting Tony Abbott which was the situation we were in," Mr Combet told ABC TV on Thursday.
"Julia surprised me in that discussion by suggesting that she would support and stand down in favour of me if I stood."
Mr Combet declined the offer for a number of reasons, including personal, but also because support for Mr Rudd was building momentum.
It was a "pretty difficult" manoeuvre to pull off, installing yet another Labor leader within months to an election and gaining the support of colleagues.
Asked if he could have won, Mr Combet answered, "Who knows, possibly".
Ms Gillard is due to launch her former cabinet colleague's memoir chronicling the events, titled The Fights of My Life, in Sydney on Tuesday.
Mr Combet was among several Gillard government ministers to tender his resignation after the leadership ballot.
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