MPs and senators have begun arriving in the national capital ahead of tomorrow's ballot with each new arrival greeted by a throng of media at Canberra Airport. Kevin Rudd leaves home in Brisbane today. Credit:Harrison Saragossi After several public engagements in Melbourne, Ms Gillard arrived at the RAAF Base Fairbairn in Canberra with partner Tim Mathieson. In an interview with the Nine Network earlier today, Mr Rudd reaffirmed his promise that if he was defeated - as expected - in the ballot that he would go to the backbench and cede any further leadership ambitions. But he also admitted that he feared the internal attacks by ministers and former cabinet colleagues would continue and that the timing of the ballot had put him at a disadvantage because he had not had enough time to campaign within caucus.

"I think it's time people accepted responsibility for their own actions,'' he said. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in Canberra, followed by Employment Participation Minister Kate Ellis. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "This thing is bigger than all of us. If I get mowed down by a bus tomorrow ... the party is much bigger than me. It's time for us to unite rather than divide. I say to my supporters, unite behind the government...But it having come to this, it should be resolved.'' Mr Rudd said reports that he called the Prime Minister a ''childless, atheist, former Communist'' at a hotel in Adelaide were wrong. Julia Gillard is presented with the no. 1 jumper at today's Western Bulldogs family day in Melbourne. Credit:John Woudstra

"I don't have any recollection of having said anything of the sort,'' he said. Mr Rudd made a plea for the party to listen to the Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, who came out in support of Mr Rudd yesterday. Mr Rudd said reports that he called the Prime Minister a ''childless, atheist, former Communist'' at a hotel in Adelaide were wrong Mr Albanese called on the party to immediately stop its internal brawling, saying they should get back to ''fighting Tories''. In what is seen as a final pitch to caucus, Mr Rudd said he had changed considerably since he was prime minister, and even promised to sleep more.

''We can always all do better. I'd be a mug if I didn't learn from my experiences,'' he said. Mr Rudd said his hand was forced into his dramatic resignation from the foreign affairs portfolio in Washington as Ms Gillard refused to ''repudiate'' comments made against him by senior ministers. The former prime minister revisited the painful history that saw him deposed in 2010 and said he was given no warning that he was at risk of losing the party's confidence because his colleagues believed he was running a paralysed and chaotic government. Mr Rudd said he was doing his ''absolute best'' to steer Australia through the ravages of the global financial crisis and that his closest confidantes had ample opportunity to raise their concerns. He singled out Treasurer Wayne Swan for criticism and said he had only discovered his intentions to support Ms Gillard on the evening she announced she would challenge.

''Oh, I'm backing change,'' Mr Rudd quoted the Treasurer as saying. ''That was it,'' Mr Rudd said. ''No prior warning, no nothing.'' Mr Swan today avoided questions over whether he would resign from cabinet if Mr Rudd emerges victorious tomorrow, describing them as ''hypothetical''. Despite Mr Rudd indicating he would not make changes to the senior ministry, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, Environment Minister Tony Burke and Education Minister Peter Garrett have led the charge declaring they would quit cabinet if Mr Rudd was to return to the Labor leadership. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said that despite his public support for Mr Rudd he expected he would remain in his portfolio if Ms Gillard remained in her role.

''I think Kevin has indicated he would want a government of all the talents and he would invite senior ministers or ministers to continue to serve,'' he told Sky News. ''Personally, I think there's an obligation on those of us at cabinet level to continue to serve, regardless of whether our preferred candidate (wins).'' Ms Gillard today adopted a line used first by former prime minister John Howard and recycled by Mr Rudd in his bid to reclaim the Labor leadership. ''The things which unite us as...are infinitely greater and more enduring than the things that divide us,'' was first attributed to Mr Howard in his 2003 Christmas message to the nation. Ms Gillard said she was confident Labor would pull itself back together after a damaging week of public brawling.

"At the end of the day and at the end of what has been a very difficult week, the things that unite us in the Labor Party are far, far stronger than anything else," she said. Ms Gillard added she remained ''convinced'' that Labor could defeat Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at an election in 2013. Defence Minister Stephen Smith was the first high profile government figure to touch down in Canberra this afternoon and appeared to toe the newly adopted party line of ''unity''. "I think after tomorrow's ballot we draw a line under it and move on,'' he said. Arriving in Canberra, Mental Health Minister Mark Butler said that he was backing Ms Gillard as she was ''the right person to lead us to the next election in 18 months.''

''I am confident she is going to win,'' he said. Queensland MP Graham Perrett - who made headlines last year when he threatened to quit if Mr Rudd challenged for the leadership - said his office had received a large volume of calls from voters in his Brisbane electorate Moreton. He said support for Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard was split in his electorate, which adjoins Mr Rudd's seat of Griffith. ''They're telling me both,'' Mr Perrett said. ''[But] I support stability, I support the prime minister. This is not Australian Idol.'' Victorian senator David Feeney, who was instrumental in the 2010 coup that overthrew Mr Rudd, refused to comment while Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson continued to battle the tide of caucus opinion by backing Mr Rudd.

South Australian backbencher Amanda Rishworth said she was confident Ms Gillard would win convincingly. In an interview today, Ms Roxon said the former prime minister should give up all pretensions of ever leading the party if he could not attract 40 votes or more in tomorrow morning's ballot. Ms Roxon, who has been one of most vocal and vicious critics of Mr Rudd, said she believed Ms Gillard would receive the overwhelming support of caucus to keep her job. ''The truth is if Kevin has really anything under 40, that means that his colleagues have voted against him two to one,'' the Attorney-General told ABC television. ''That is [then] time to tuck that leadership baton in the knapsack forever ... because we cannot afford to drag down a Labor government because of one person's ambition."

Ms Roxon said she did not view Mr Albanese's backing of Mr Rudd and emotional plea for the party to unite as a game changer. Loading ''I just don't think it means that people will move one way or the other,'' she said. Follow the National Times on Twitter: @NationalTimesAU