The reports said he would make room for NSW Senator Mark Arbib who wants to be a minister in the Rudd cabinet and had set his sights on Mr McClelland's seat.

If Mr McClelland was "white-anted'' he would take a diplomatic post and Rockdale councillor Shaoquett Moselmane would be called in as a potential powerbroker to help Senator Arbib take Barton in any preselection fightthat might arise for the next federal election.

Mr McClelland said his ministerial achievements included reforms to reduce costs and speed up processes in the family and federal courts, improved rights for separating de facto couples, development of a national catastrophic disaster plan and reforms to human rights, native title, freedom of information, and these would take "a good few terms

to bed down''.

"I won't be taking any appointments,'' he said.

"I like what I'm doing to much, so anyone who is champing at the bit to succeed me is going to have to serve a much longer period of apprenticeship.''

Senator Arbib said: "There is no truth to any of these rumours and speculation.

"Anyone suggesting otherwise is being mischievous or ill informed.

"Robert Mc Clelland is an outstanding Member of Parliament and Minister.

Cr Moselmane said the reports were "rubbish'' and that he "never had conversations with Mark [Arbib]''.

A senior NSW Labor source said that Cr Moselmane could be called in as a powerbroker between preselection players was "unlikely'' despite the former Rockdale mayor holding strong rank-and-file support in Rockdale Labor branches.

The source said Cr Moselmane, who has long sought a seat in NSW upper house, could have run as a Labor Senate candidate at the 2003 NSW elections after he was offered position nine on the senate ticket.

He declined but Labor won 10 senate seats at the 2003 NSW elections.

The source said Labor's N40 rule was used to preselect Mr McClelland who won Barton in 1996 and Rockdale MP Frank Sartor in 2003. Preselection has not been contested since.

The source said Mr Arbib's core ambitions were limited by the fact he was regarded as one of the engineers of the current structure of NSW's Labor party caucus.

"A number of politicians are worried about the poor public standing of NSW Government and are anxious to quarantine the Rudd Government,'' the source said.