Factions play key role in Labor

HOW THE FACTIONS SHAPE UP

* Exact final numbers of ALP national conference delegates will be known once they are officially "credentialled".

* The Right faction - also known as Centre Unity, Labor Unity or Labor Forum - has dominated conference numbers for more than a decade. But not this time.

* It's estimated the Left faction has 195 and the Right has 197, with five "unaligned" delegates making up the 397 voting delegates. This means no single faction has a majority and deals will need to be struck to get motions passed.

* The Right (Centre Unity) is in the majority in NSW. NSW provides more than a quarter of all delegates to national conference.

* The Victorian branch is held together via a "stability pact" between the Left and the Right (Labor Unity). Victoria has the second largest number of delegates.

* A Left and Labor Unity (also known as the Old Guard) alliance holds sway in Queensland.

* The Right (Labor Unity) is dominant in South Australia, supported by a 20 per cent bloc known as "Others".

* The Left has a majority in Western Australia, Tasmania, ACT and the NT.