Rudd 'needs to accept' he can't return as Oz PM: Federal Minister

Canberra, Jan 31(ANI): Australian Minister Simon Crean has said that Kevin Rudd and his upporters must accept that he cannot become the prime minister again.

"He can't be prime minister again. He's got to accept that. Has he? That's a question that hould be put to him and I think every time it's been put to him he does accept it," news.com.au uoted Crean, as saying.

He, however, said that the challenge by Rudd is not inevitable.

Crean stressed the need for the Labor party to remain united, and added that it should not stoke peculation of its leadership.

"The leadership will not be vacant. There is no capacity for challenge. There is no contender hat has the numbers. And the sooner the party wakes up to that ... the better off we will be," he dded.

He also warned the party not to change leaders to turn around poor opinion poll results.

Crean said the government would have to focus on its economic credentials and other chievements like introducing a carbon tax and put Abbott under more pressure for being elentlessly negative.

"I think everyone (in the party) is solidly behind the view that the opposition is vulnerable, our genda and our record is enormously strong and we're best concentrated on accentuating our ositives and reminding people of Tony Abbott's negatives," he said. (ANI)