Disgraced former union officials Michael Williamson and Craig Thomson have been expelled from the Labor Party.

They had already been suspended from the party, but today state officials moved to expel them at an administrative committee meeting of the party's New South Wales branch.

The two former Health Services Union (HSU) officials have been found guilty of corrupt conduct and have received jail sentences.

Williamson, a former national ALP president, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail for defrauding the HSU while he was the union secretary.

In sentencing Judge David Frearson said Williamson was in a position of power when he defrauded the union of nearly $1 million.

Williamson submitted false invoices to the union from a company in his wife's name.

Thomson, also a former union secretary and Labor MP for Dobell, was found guilty of misusing his union credit card.

He is appealing against his three-month sentence for defrauding the HSU of more than $24,000.

The Labor Party is hoping to put the damaging scandal behind it by formally expelling the pair from the party.

New South Wales Labor Party Secretary Jamie Clements says the party was able to take advantage of new powers granted after the federal intervention.

"It was much more difficult in the past. The expulsion of members found guilty of corruption had to go through a rigorous internal disputes process," he said.

"We now have the power, where a person is found guilty of corrupt conduct, to have them expelled immediately."

Today was the first time the New South Wales branch had met since both men were found guilty of corrupt conduct.

Mr Clements says the party acted as soon as it could to expel Williamson and Thomson.

"The rules that we implemented as part of our tough new anti-corruption reforms in the Labor Party were used to expel Mr Williamson," he said.

"Mr Thomson was also expelled for standing against a Labor candidate in the last federal election."

Mr Clements is backing calls for the party to be opened up to non-union members.

He says it would send a message that everyone is welcome.

Source: ABC