Labor front bencher Stephen Smith is calling on former prime minister Kevin Rudd to retire from Australian politics.
Mr Rudd said on Saturday night he will stand down as leader of the ALP, but remain in parliament after retaining his seat in Queensland.
But the ABC reports Mr Smith said that is not enough. He praised Mr Rudd's decision to resign from the leadership, but still called on Mr Rudd to leave Parliament.
Earlier, outgoing Labor minister Jason Clare said it was time to put the Rudd and Gillard era behind the party.
Mr Clare said the Labor defeat would have been worse if Mr Rudd had not replaced Ms Gillard as prime minister but the "dance of death" between the two had cost the party government.
He said the people had thrown the ALP out and the party had to listen and learn from that.
"That involves us putting that behind us - that conflict, that division that destroyed this government, that dance of death between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd," Mr Clare said.
"It's up to people like me, this next generation of Labor politicians to build the basis for a new government and earn the people of Australia's respect."
Ms Gillard ousted Mr Rudd as leader in 2010. He reclaimed the position in June after three years of continuing instability.
Former climate change minister Greg Combet said Labor must take a "very, very good look at itself" in the days to come.
"We cannot afford to have the sort of disunity that we've experienced over the last few years," he told ABC TV.
Asked whether he was talking about Mr Rudd, Mr Combet hinted that retribution will follow Labor's poll pain.
"There will be more to say about this in days to come, I would think," he said. "I think that's been pretty evident for some period of time, but of course others would have a view about other events that took place in June 2010."
Frontrunner to lead Labor in opposition, Bill Shorten, says the process to replace Kevin Rudd will be free of rancour and division.
Concession remarks
Mr Rudd held off a strong challenge in Griffith by Dr Bill Glasson, but AAP reports the Coalition candidate could not do to Mr Rudd what Maxine McKew did to John Howard in 2007.
AAP reports Mr Rudd telephoned Mr Abbott just before 9.30pm (AEST).
"As prime minister of Australia I wish him well," Mr Rudd said.
"I also wish his government well for the great and difficult challenges that now lie ahead for Australia."
He also wished Mr Abbott, his wife Margie and entire family, all the best in the "high strain" lifestyle that accompanies the leader of the country.
He and his wife looked forward to greeting Mr and Mrs Abbott at The Lodge next week, as John and Janette Howard had welcomed him when Mr Rudd first became prime minister in 2007.
Division blamed by Hawke
Former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke blamed the internal divisions for Labor's defeat.
"I really believe this was an election that was lost by the government rather than one that was won by the opposition," he said.
Former ALP power broker Graham Richardson said Mr Rudd did well to save as many Labor seats as he did.
But, he said, if Mr Rudd had tried to stay on as Labor leader, he would have been defeated.
Mr Richardson said the divisions within Labor were unprecedented and that turned a lot of voters off.
