... the Labor Party, which is so shackled by dogma, theory, and prejudice that it has become the most reactionary party in Australia. If the word "conserva- tive", used in its narrowest and most restrictive sense, can be applied to any party, it is to the ALP.
... we must as a Party constantly enlarge our body of knowledge and extend the horizons of our thinking We must not be afraid of self-criticism. Indeed, there is much to be said for a healthy discontent in a Party like ours.
Inevitably, we must become more national as a Party. The old State parochialisms, which seemed so import- ant little more than a decade ago, have receded in significance under the pressures of contemporary history. This does not mean that we are any less a Federal Organisation: it simply means that there should be new priorities in our thinking
Federal President's address to Federal Council 10 October 1966 (A Liberal Party Publication)