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Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser (Image: AP)

As the federal Liberals try to work out a way forward as an electorally relevant political force, and both right-wingers and moderates contemplate the potential benefits of splitting off, the questions of what the Liberals should stand for, whether their history remains relevant, and where the party fits in an Australia very different even to the one John Howard presided over, are more pressing than at any time since the 1980s. During that decade, the Liberals faced repeated electoral defeats, profound ideological questions, a powerful threat from the right, and regular leadership conflicts — all familiar territory to the party of 2025.

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