PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has denied Barton MP Robert McClelland's strong support for Kevin Rudd's leadership challenge cost him his Cabinet position.
While visiting Penshurst for an education forum, Ms Gillard insisted her new line-up was based on merit and the ability of ministers to take on the Opposition.
Before being dropped this month, Mr McClelland had served on Labor's front bench for 14 of his 16 years in Parliament.
He was an Opposition spokesman on portfolios including Attorney-General, workplace relations, justice, homeland security, defence and foreign affairs.
In 2007, he was appointed Attorney-General and served in that role until late last year when he survived Ms Gillard's first attempt to drop him from Cabinet, but was demoted to Minister for Emergency Management, Housing and Homelessness.
In an interview with the Leader before the forum at Georges River College, Penshurst campus, Ms Gillard would not discuss the conversation she had with Mr McClelland in which he said he was told he had gone too far in his comments on the leadership.
"I've made my decisions in the reshuffle on the basis of merit and putting the team together and making sure we have got the best team there to get on with the job," she said.
"Reshuffles are always full of hard decisions and inevitably there is disappointment.
"There are always more people who would like to serve in the ministry than there are spots available.
"Robert has made a good contribution over the time he's been a minister but I needed to make the choices and get the team I think is the right team for government."
Ms Gillard declined to say if Mr McClelland could return as a minister.
