Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says both Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten would already be gone if they were held to the same standard as he was as leader.
Mr Rudd was toppled in 2010 as Labor MPs revolted against his management style and the worry he was falling behind Tony Abbott.
"In 87 Newspolls I fell behind once. Based on that, coup leaders acted, saying we'd lose election," Mr Rudd tweeted on Monday.
"Both (Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten) would be long gone if we applied that standard now."
Mr Turnbull used 30 Newspoll losses in a row as one of his justifications for challenging Tony Abbott in 2015, but he also hit that mark himself on Monday.
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Mr Rudd returned as prime minister in 2013 when Labor's two-party preferred vote was 43 per cent under Julia Gillard.
Bill Shorten was asked if he could rebuild his relationship with Mr Rudd.
"I'm not going to interpret someone's emotions through a tweet. Mr Rudd did a very good job as prime minister of Australia," he told reporters in Perth.
"We've learned from our mistakes."
