When people elect to live together in a free society, to benefit by mutual companionship and talents, they elect also to make certain compromises on freedom. The crucial test is each individual may pursue their freedom, subject to the rights of others. As Immanuel Kant, the most influential liberal philosopher of the last century said, the goal of liberalism must be to maximise the freedom of all wholly consistent with the freedom of others. Constant vigilance is necessary to prevent the encroachment upon freedom by the State, whether the motive is misguided benevolence or totalitarian in origin. The view of Australians that government can fix everything and anything, and the constant call of the media for governments to do so, is dangerous to those who seek their help.
Individual freedom is vital to the development of human dignity.
In terms of the Liberal Party s stated philosophy, its origin is found in the Forgotten Speech of 1942. Within the heritage of Liberal philosophy in Australia, the spoken word of Menzies and the written word of Carrick are timeless pointers of a true direction for nation building.