Senior Labor MP Anthony Albanese is confident Labor can run a strong campaign in the by-election triggered by Kevin Rudd's resignation from parliament.
Mr Rudd retained his Brisbane seat of Griffith with a three per cent margin at the September 7 election.
However, his Liberal opponent, former Australian Medical Association president Bill Glasson, garnered a swing of more than five percentage points.
"At the last election campaign, the Tories were pretty cashed up and there was no one more cashed up than Bill Glasson," Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
"He wasn't successful.
"I'm very confident that Labor can field a very good candidate and run a strong campaign."
Mr Rudd spoke in parliament about the importance of continuing party reforms to further involve the rank and file membership.
"I look forward to a full democratic preselection process for all local party members to elect our next candidate for Griffith," he said.
Mr Albanese didn't believe the by-election would put pressure on Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
"There have been by-elections before and there will be by-elections again," he said, noting he'd seen by-elections in every term of parliament except the last since he was first elected in 1996.
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