Sir Robert Sparkes presidential Report to the annual conference of the National Party of Australia – Queensland, Townsville, 6 November 1987
(Chapter 21, p. 243)
I am sorry to have to begin my report on a very somber note, but we must face the harsh reality that the stocks of our Party have fallen from an all time high on the occasion of the last State election to a disastrously low level at the present time, as revealed by the latest research.
However, all is not doom and gloom! I am confident that, if we take the appropriate corrective measures we can overcome our present difficulties, retrieve lost support, and go from strength to strength. But more of that later.
1986 State election result the best ever.
The one really bright spot since the last Conference on the Gold Coast was, of course, the 1986 State election result which was the best in our history. We contested 88 of the 89 seats. We achieved almost 40% of the primary vote and won 49 seats – both records!
