Labor senator Sam Dastyari has confirmed exclusively to BuzzFeed News that he will resign from the Senate next week, now that former NSW premier Kristina Keneally has been determined as his likely successor.



Labor leader Bill Shorten has been hammered with questions about Dastyari, who has continued to collect his salary, worth about $200,000 annually, despite announcing his intention to leave parliament on December 12.

When asked why Dastyari had yet to resign, Shorten told a press conference on Thursday that Dastyari was finishing up "matters that are outstanding" and he had "no doubt that he will resign very soon".

BuzzFeed News understands Dastyari's official resignation was put on hold until a successor from Labor's NSW Right had been decided by the party internally.

Keneally, who last month contested and lost the by-election for the federal seat of Bennelong, confirmed her intention to run for the vacated Senate seat on Wednesday evening.