Kevin Rudd says there are now "no circumstances" under which he would return to the Labor leadership.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard called a spill of the Labor leadership on Thursday, but Mr Rudd did not challenge despite caucus members urging him to do so.
He said to AAP through a spokesman on Friday 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."
BOWEN QUITS
Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen, a Kevin Rudd supporter, has resigned from Julia Gillard's cabinet following the leadership showdown.
Mr Bowen said that before the caucus meeting he advised Mr Rudd the ballot would be "potentially" very close and the outcome could not be guaranteed.
"He took the view that a divisive ballot that was close would not resolve the issue of the leadership," he added.
"He didn't want to put the party through that.
"There were caucus members torn as to which side they would vote.
"He didn't want to make them make that decision if it wasn't going to achieve that result."
Earlier, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she expects a number of her cabinet members will be considering their positions following the leadership spill.
Dumped Labor frontbencher Simon Crean told Fairfax Radio the destabilisation within the party will now stop and Prime Minister Julia Gillard has his support.
Ms Gillard sacked Mr Crean from his ministerial responsibilities after he called for her to bring on a leadership spill.
"A line has been drawn ... on the leadership issue," he told Fairfax Radio on Friday.
Mr Crean said the destabilisation would stop because it was not rewarded by the party.
He denied Labor was in a state of chaos.
"It's not a mess if it provides the basis for a regeneration," Mr Crean said.
"We have got a united party at the leadership level.
"It has been a circuit breaker."
Mr Crean said he called for the spill with his eyes open.
"I was campaigning for a change of approach to end this revolving door of the leader and the focus on just the individual to getting back to what the party stands for," he said.
Mr Crean said Ms Gillard was determined to win the election and she had his full support.
"She is a fighter," he said.
"He (Kevin Rudd) didn't turn up for the fight."
LABOR CRISIS ANALYSIS: HOW YESTERDAY ENDED UP
PM EXPECTS CABINET MEMBERS TO 'CONSIDER POSITIONS'
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she expects a number of her cabinet members will be considering their positions following the leadership spill.
Ms Gillard says she accepted the resignation of Richard Marles from his parliamentary secretary position on Thursday night.
"I anticipate there will be a few more people considering their position," she told ABC radio in Melbourne.
"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."
Ms Gillard said she had a ministerial reshuffle to deal with and would put together the "best team" to take the government to the September election.
'RUDD WILL GET ON WITH HIS JOB'
Julia Gillard says Kevin Rudd will get on with his job of being a backbencher and member for Griffith after Thursday's leadership ballot.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she was a "bit" surprised that Kevin Rudd didn't stand for the leadership at Thursday's caucus ballot.
Ms Gillard, who declined to appear on ABC radio's AM program, made her first public comments on Friday on the Kyle and Jackie O program on Sydney radio station 2Day FM.
She says the leadership issue was "definitely" decided at the meeting where she was unopposed for the leadership.
"I was a bit surprised, given all the build up, that Kevin didn't stand," she said.
"But having chosen not to stand that does underline that this is all definitely over."
She said Mr Rudd would not be making another tilt at the leadership.
"He will be serving in his capacity as the local member for Griffith... he'll be doing all those things as a Labor backbencher."
She said the party would now get on with governing the country.
She said after Thursday's events, she retired to The Lodge with Reuben the dog.
"Tim's away at the moment. It was me and reuben the dog - he was full of wise words," she said.
"At the end of a long hard day I was happy to hang out, pat the dog and get some sleep."
STRONG CAUCUS SUPPORT FOR PM: SWAN
Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan says the leadership issue is settled and it's time to get on with governing.
He said the lack of a challenge from Kevin Rudd at Thursday's special caucus meeting meant the leadership speculation was over.
"The fact is that there was very strong support in the room and the reason there wasn't a ballot was that there wasn't strong support for change," Mr Swan told ABC radio on Friday.
"What we got was a very strong endorsement of the prime minister and this does resolve this matter once and for all."
He said there had been a lot of distracting speculation about the leadership, but now the government needed to get on with implementing its policies ahead of the September 14 election.
"Now that this is resolved once and for all, we've got to get out there and we've got to talk to the Australian people about the things that matter to them, and that's what we're focused on."
'ELECTION ONLY WAY TO FIX ALP MESS'
A federal election is the only resolution to the government's leadership battle, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.
Mr Abbott says it should be up to the electorate to decide who should lead the country.
"We are no closer to strong and stable government," he told the Nine Network on Friday.
"The only way we can get to strong and stable government is to hold an election as soon as humanly possible."
Mr Abbott said the leadership battle would continue.
"As long as this is a government in trouble, there will always be this fight, whether it's Rudd stalking Gillard or it's Gillard stalking Rudd," he said.
The opposition will put a motion of no confidence in the Gillard government at the next sitting of parliament - budget day May 14.
Mr Abbott shrugged off suggestions the government's leadership tension would benefit the coalition.
"It's not about me," he said.
"It's got be about the Australian people. You see the prime minister is focused on herself and survival, she's not focused on the national interest."
Mr Abbott said the coalition could debate the future of the Gillard government and the budget at the same time.
"I'm impatient to give our country good government because that's what the public wants," he told ABC radio.
"We're capable of doing two things at the same time."
He said the government had to be held to account over its failed promise to return the budget to surplus, saying the public had lost confidence in the government.
"We've seen time and time again this government make promises and break them," Mr Abbott said.
"Frankly you can't trust this government with the finances."
