The Labor Party will introduce new rules to prevent MPs resigning without permission after a row over a former frontbencher's decision to quit the party for state politics.

The ALP national executive has blocked disillusioned backbencher Duncan Kerr from quitting his federal seat of Denison to contest this year's Tasmanian election just five weeks after the November 10 federal poll.

The party executive ordered its Tasmanian branch not to accept Mr Kerr's nomination for the state seat of Denison, which shares the same boundaries as his federal seat, after strong community protest.

Opposition Leader Simon Crean said the party had made the right decision regarding its former justice and customs spokesman.

"I believe that if people go to the electors saying they are going to serve their full term, they should do just that," he told ABC Radio.

"What this example demonstrated to me was that our rules are deficient, they didn't provide a mechanism for the national party to consider decisions taken by individuals.

"I think that's inappropriate and not only have I moved to address this particular problem, but to also call for a change to our rules such that in future the approval of the national executive has to be obtained before anyone resigns."

Mr Kerr said told The Australian newspaper he was disappointed by the national executive's decision, but accepted it.

But Mr Crean denied he would be a liability to the ALP and the voters of Denison in the federal arena because he did not want to be in Canberra for the next three years.

"His commitment is unquestioned," Mr Crean said.

"His heart and his commitment is to the electors of Denison.

"He could have served them in either parliament, but it's only appropriate in my view and that of the national executive that he continues to serve them in the federal parliament and I welcome his decision to accept that national executive decision."