Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a statement on Friday, saying that he would not stand for the Labor leadership.

The statement from spokesperson for Kevin Rudd was posted on Rudd's website.

"Mr Rudd has said consistently over the last 12 months that he would not challenge for the Labor leadership and that he would contest the next election as a local member of Parliament at the next election. That position has not changed," the statement said.

"Furthermore, Mr Rudd wishes to make 100 percent 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."

Rudd told reporters in Brisbane on Friday that Prime Minister Julia Gillard has his full support.

"As I said in a written statement today, there are no circumstances under which I would return to the leadership of the Australian Labor Party in the future," he said.

"I think few of us were expecting the spontaneous combustion of Simon Crean's statement yesterday, I certainly wasn't," Rudd added.

Gillard told reporters in the northern New South Wales town of Bangalow that Rudd's statement reflects the reality.

Party elder Simon Crean required Gillard to have a leadership spill and throw her leadership open. However, Crean was immediately sacked by Gillard on Thursday, while some other Rudd supporters including Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Richard Marles, chief party whip Joel Fitzgibbon and two other whips resigned.

With the exodus of four cabinet ministers, Gillard is forced to have a substantial government reshuffle shortly. It will be the second government reshuffle in less than a month.