KEVIN RUDD has hit back at accusations by colleagues he is not a team player as close supporters of Julia Gillard concede her grip on the prime ministership is slipping.
One factional boss, who is loyal to Ms Gillard, said yesterday: ''There's been quite a shift over summer'' and ''she's in trouble''.
As Ms Gillard forged ahead with her economic agenda by announcing an overhaul of vocational education to boost Australia's skills base, Mr Rudd hit the state election campaign trail in his native Queensland.
On Tuesday, Mr Rudd's cabinet colleague, Simon Crean, labelled him a prima donna and told him to drop his ambition to return to the leadership.
Mr Rudd said he was ''proud to be a member of this ministerial team, which is very strong, very dedicated, very hard-working and in which Simon himself plays a very positive role''.
''I play my own part and will continue to do so.''
Asked if he supported Ms Gillard, Mr Rudd replied ''of course''.
Mr Rudd's supporters emphasised yesterday that nothing should happen until after the March 24 Queensland election, to prevent disrupting the campaign.
Federal Parliament rises on March 22 and does not sit again until the budget in May, meaning any coup would have to wait until then.
''She needs a flawless three months,'' the factional boss said of Ms Gillard. ''Her danger zone is between Queensland and the budget.''
Mr Crean, Bill Shorten and Stephen Smith have all been cited as contenders to keep out Mr Rudd should Ms Gillard's leadership become terminal.
A Crean backer has begun canvassing support. But sources on both sides concede any contest will be between Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd in the end.
One senior source said the many MPs who have drifted away from Ms Gillard over the summer are ''parked in the unknown''.
''At the end of the day, they will have to go to Rudd.''
Colleagues of Mr Shorten are urging him to withdraw his name from the speculation.
''He is the likely longer-term leader and he will seriously damage himself,'' an MP said.
With Parliament to resume next week, there will be little respite from the speculation should the polls stay flat.
Mr Rudd has a busy campaign schedule planned for Queensland, a state crucial to Labor's federal prospects.
He has promised to help out in three state seats which cross over with his own electorate.
As well, the ABC's Four Corners program is running a profile piece on February 13 which his detractors worry will be sympathetic and boost his comeback.
The government's woes worsened last night when the Seven Network reported email exchanges between the office of the former workplace relations minister, Chris Evans, and Fair Work Australia, concerning the investigation into the NSW MP Craig Thomson.
The government has rejected claims that it has interfered in the investigation. While the emails do not contradict this, they show Fair Work Australia, a statutory independent body, running past Senator Evans's office a media statement denying allegations Mr Thomson lied to the investigation, sparking a second inquiry.
Senator Evans's adviser responds: ''Thanks, that's awesome should minimise any run it gets in the morning.''
The national secretary of the Health Services Union, Kathy Jackson, has alleged government interference in the investigation but has no evidence.
She said questions should be asked as to why the investigation, which she called for, is taking so long.
Fair Work Australia is investigating the financial affairs of the union and has also made adverse findings against key players, including Ms Jackson. Sources told the Herald these relate to her failure as a union official to attend meetings when Mr Thomson was the national secretary where she could have raised questions about the finances.
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