Rudd calls time on NSW ALP corruption Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised a broader overhaul of the Australian Labor Party, after demanding the NSW branch deal accept national executive intervention for the first time in more than 40 years. The state Labor operation is under pressure following the airing of allegations of corrupt behaviour by ministers and other members at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), amid long-standing concerns about the entrenched power of factions. NSW ALP branch secretary Sam Dastyari has been given 30 days to implement a range of new reforms, including the instant expulsion of any member found to be corrupt, under the eye of the national executive. Property developers will be banned from standing as state ALP election candidates unless they divest their major interests, and the current disputes and credentials committee will be dissolved to make way for a new independent tribunal to resolve party disputes. An internal ombudsman will also be set up to hear and investigate the complaints of rank-and-file members. Mr Dastyari said the NSW branch couldn't change its own rules without going through a lengthy and costly conference process, but he shared the prime minister's view that "something had to happen." "The Labor Party in NSW knows it has to change, and it is changing," he told ABC television. This is taking the governance of the party to the next step. Mr Rudd said the allegations being heard by ICAC in Sydney were appalling, had damaged Labor's standing and must never be repeated. "I regard this as a necessary set of reforms," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. I also reserve to myself the right to make a further request in the future should further reforms be necessary. Mr Rudd has also asked all other state and territory branches to consider changing their rules in line with NSW Labor to head off any issues in those jurisdictions. Deputy Prime Minister and NSW MP Anthony Albanese said voters and NSW branch members had been let down and greatly disappointed. "The days of factional dominance in NSW must also be reformed because they have clearly led to an abuse of power," Mr Albanese said. Over time, the culture dominating the lower echelons of the branch went further up, with consequences for the Labor members of government. Mr Rudd plans more, broader reforms to ensure the ALP is more democratic and representative of modern society and wants to widen the membership beyond its historic union base. He praised efforts so far by NSW Labor leader John Robertson and Mr Dastyari to clean up the NSW branch after the last state election. But NSW Special Minister of State Chris Hartcher said Mr Rudd had "effectively called time on the Labor leadership of John Robertson." The last time there was federal intervention into the NSW branch was in 1971. Mr Robertson denied the move was a vote of no confidence in his leadership. " (Mr Rudd) acknowledged the work I have been doing over the last two years and what this does is build on those reforms," he told reporters. Reform like this was always going to require the intervention of the prime minister. Mr Robertson denied it was an attempt by federal Labor to distance itself from the state ALP ahead of the federal poll. He also rejected the suggestion it was a pre-emptive attempt to avert a voter backlash when the ICAC hands down its findings. "These are important reforms and they've been discussed for some period of time," he said. Mr Robertson pointed out that he had already expelled from the party the two former Labor MPs at the centre of the ICAC hearings - Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald - but said the federal reforms would have made that process easier. You will still have due process but it won't take as long and it won't be as convoluted.