Veteran federal MPs and Victorian factional heavyweights Stephen Conroy and Kim Carr look set to win their party's backing to recontest the 2016 federal election after a controversial party decision to bring forward senate preselections.

Fairfax Media understands the party's powerful administrative committee on Thursday evening voted to finalise pre-selections in coming weeks, a move designed in part to protect the two senators and factional bosses - the right-wing chieftain Conroy, and the left-wing Carr.

Stephen Conroy. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Party activists seeking internal reform are likely to be upset that the pre-selections are to be decided before new affirmative rules come into effect, and ahead of a debate about rule changes scheduled for next year.