The Liberal Party has begun preparations for the next election, but insists it will be 15 months away.

MPs, senators and lay members of the party have gathered in Melbourne for their annual Federal Council meeting.

The party's federal director Brian Loughnane used his speech to confirm planning for the next election had begun, but did not say it would be early.

"While the election may be 15 months away, the campaign on the ground has begun, Labor and the unions are out there," Mr Loughnane said.

Labor has been trying to fuel speculation of an early election, but senior Liberal ministers insist the Government intends to run full-term.

The Liberal Party has spent the past fortnight riding relatively high, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott describing the period as one of the most productive the Government has had.

In the past fortnight, it has introduced citizenship laws aimed at preventing dual-nationality terrorists from returning to Australia.

It also launched an investigation into ABC's Q&A program's roundly-criticised decision to allow a man who pleaded guilty to threatening to kill ASIO officers into its studio audience.

On his way to the Federal Council meeting, Treasurer Joe Hockey said he was unimpressed with ABC managing director Mark Scott's speech responding to Monday night's program.

"I don't think it's a very good idea for the ABC to be having a very public fight with the Government after the ABC made a mistake," Mr Hockey said.

"I'm still dumbfounded at the lack of judgement of whoever it was that thought it was a good idea to put that guy on live TV."

The two-day conference opened with a tribute to former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser, who died earlier this year.