Labor facing weeks long leadership vacancy

Outgoing federal attorney-general Mark Dreyfus (pic) will back Bill Shorten to lead the Labor party. Source: AAP

LABOR faces the prospect of its own new internal processes leaving the party without a federal leader for weeks, while Anthony Albanese remains quiet on his ambitions.

Bill Shorten on Thursday became the sole candidate for the leadership, pressuring likely contender and incumbent deputy Mr Albanese to put up or shut up.

A contest between the two would trigger a ballot of rank-and-file Labor members as well as caucus to decide who takes the party's parliamentary leadership.

But as the ALP tries to scratch out a future following Saturday's election loss, the party remains racked by disharmony, as it faces a possible leadership vacuum.

Senior Labor Senator Stephen Conroy slammed the new guidelines which require 60 per cent support in a ballot of branch members to endorse a leadership candidate.

"These rules that have been put in place will make us an absolute laughing stock," Senator Conroy said.

"We have this ludicrous circumstances where we might not have a leader for four, six, eight weeks."

In his pitch for the top job, which included plans to win the next national poll, Mr Shorten addressed a wide audience.

"I shall submit myself to caucus colleagues and to thousands of Labor Party members across Australia and I welcome this ballot and the opportunity to start the momentum so that Labor can win the next election," he said.

The Victorian Labor right heavyweight was not fazed by a possible challenge from Mr Albanese, who hails from the party's left and is yet to officially stand.

"If Anthony nominates, he will be an excellent, outstanding candidate," Mr Shorten said.

"If he was successful, I would certainly work with him and accept the verdict of the members."

But the outgoing education minister also took the opportunity to champion his own qualities.

"I believe I bring energy, I bring optimism, I'm hungry for victory," Mr Shorten said.

The leadership will be discussed at the Labor caucus meeting in Canberra on Friday during which Kevin Rudd is set to stand aside.

Western Sydney MP Laurie Ferguson wants Mr Shorten for leader and outgoing health minister Tanya Plibersek as deputy.

"I think Plibersek's probably the only one that's kept her nose clean," he told AAP, adding that neither Mr Shorten or Mr Albanese "are pure".

The ninth-term MP also took a swipe at Labor's leadership transition rules saying they put the party in a difficult position.

The man responsible for the new process, Mr Rudd, offered no opinion of who should replace him as leader with a spokeswoman from his office declining to comment.

Labor frontbencher Mark Dreyfus said Mr Shorten would make a better party leader than Mr Albanese and distanced himself from Senator Conroy's criticism of what he considers an "open and democratic process".

"I don't think there's anything wrong with it taking a bit of time," he said.

"That's what democracy sometimes requires."

Mr Shorten had a clear message for those engaged in Labor's internal bickering.

"Please go into an empty room and say it to no one."

Labor Senator Doug Cameron, who supports the leadership ballot model, denied the incoming party leader would have problems operating with Mr Rudd on the backbench.

"We should get over that and just get on with the fact that (Mr Rudd) is the elected member and he is entitled to sit in the caucus, he is entitled to contribute," Senator Cameron told ABC TV, adding that he believed Mr Rudd's prime ministerial aspirations had come to an end.

He bluntly ruled out the need for any more departures from the party.

"My view is that we are almost anaemic, there should be no more bloodletting," Senator Cameron said.

"We should cauterise the wounds, we should get on with looking after the issues that the membership of the party want, that the community who voted for Labor in their millions want."

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