Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday that among the Labour candidates seeking for a post on the August 21 election, only Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan is assured of getting a frontbencher slot in the government.

Ms Gillard told ABC that the only sure thing for now is once Labour is re-elected, she would be prime minister while Mr Swan would reassume his current job as her deputy and treasurer as she stressed that entertaining speculations for now on what portfolio would go to who would be too presumptuous.

The prime minister said that her focus for now is to win the election and then work on shaping the best team that will lead Australia, adding that "I'm not the only person in this election campaign who, if elected, would look to movements on their frontbench. Mr Abbott has said Mr Turnbull would return in a senior post."

She hinted though that she has her considerations, noting that Stephen Smith delivered a stellar performance as the country's foreign minister and even conceded that former prime minister Kevin Rudd would be a worthwhile candidate across many portfolio areas and add up premium points for Labour-led government.

Ms Gillard said that Mr Rudd is a very capable man as she downplayed any suggestions of intrigue on his decision to drop the word Labour on his campaign materials, stressing that "Mr Rudd is campaigning for the election of the Labour government and for his election as a Labour member in Griffith."

She reiterated her earlier commitment to give the former prime minister a senior role once her government is re-elected, allowing that "I would hope for the future that we can work together. Certainly we'll be able to work together but work together with a sense of closeness."

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