Labor's Vic branch to look at reform

Labor members want to use this weekend's Victorian ALP state conference to push for a greater say for grass-roots members and an end to factional power.

The Victorian ALP is seen as one of the most heavily factionalised state branches in the country.

It is the powerbase of many senior federal members, including Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and deputy senate leader Stephen Conroy.

A group of members, under the banner of the ALP Democracy Project, has been able to secure the election of more than 20 delegates to the conference.

"It's a small but important step on the road to renewed democracy in the ALP," the group said on its website.

The conference will be the first test for a set of reforms recently unveiled by Mr Shorten.

Mr Shorten, whose Right faction base is in Victoria, has called for an end to mandatory union membership for party membership and allowing grass-roots members to vote for state leaders.

He has also set an aim of more than doubling the party's national membership to 100,000 and getting more rank-and-file involvement in preselections.

The ALP Democracy Project delegates want members to have a vote on all internal positions and the leadership, secret ballots and more opportunities to have a say on policy.

They also want greater enforcement of anti-branch stacking rules.

The National Union of Workers is leading a push to ensure that 25 per cent of the vote for party leader goes to union members, with the remainder going to other ALP members and MPs.

It will be an important conference ahead of the Victorian state election in November, which Labor has a prospect of winning.

Some members of the party believe battling over internal party structures in an election year is counter-productive.