Former Labor minister Brendan O'Connor says the caucus doesn't need the spectre of former prime minister Kevin Rudd looming on its backbench.
He says incoming prime minister Tony Abbott has been so politically successful in part because the coalition has been unified over the past three years, whereas Labor has been destabilised.
"Kevin should seriously contemplate leaving the parliament to allow whoever's the leader to get on with us taking it up to the coalition," Mr O'Connor told Sky News.
"If you have a former prime minister sitting in your party room on the backbench, that spectre looms large."
Mr Rudd had tried hard during the election but Mr O'Connor said it was not a good campaign.
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"We're kidding ourselves if we think we've done well," he said.
Mr O'Connor will put his hand up for the opposition's front bench team but not leader.
The "virtues and qualities" of Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese, the two leading contenders, were right for the top job.
