The motion brought by the party's regional and rural committee called on the Abbott government not to sign up to any binding agreements at the United Nations climate change summit in Paris later this year.

The motion called for a parliamentary inquiry to "examine the scientific evidence that underpins the man-made global warming theory and investigate the reasons for the failure of computer models, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and prominent individuals to predict, among other things, the pause in global warming this century".

But in the end, the motion did not even get debated. Instead, Victorian Liberal President Michael Kroger moved that it be referred to the party's policy committee.

He insisted the party was not trying to avoid debate but rather give more people a say on the issue.

Earlier reports had suggested Environment Minister Greg Hunt would be forced to step in and fight off the motion by asserting the government accepts climate change is real and is willing to work with other nations to combat it.

It's not clear whether Prime Minister Tony Abbott will attend the Paris climate talks or send ministers. He has said any new emissions target for Australia will safeguard economic growth while taking action on climate change.

Federal council did pass a motion calling on the government to remove the words "offend" and "insult" from the Racial Discrimination Act - a deeply controversial proposal the government advocated last year but then abandoned.

The motion was not binding but Labor seized on the vote as evidence that the Liberals' desire to water down the RDA is still "alive and well".

Mr Abbott earlier delivered the keynote address to the Liberal love-in in Melbourne.

He declared the government's plan to keep Australians safe and grow the economy is working. He drew applause when he said the government would not increase taxes or restrictions on superannuation, and nor would it make any changes to negative gearing.

But he got the best response from the party faithful when he went on the attack against Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, confessing he had seen some of the ABC's Killing Season series.

"The one thing that Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard could agree on was: you can't trust Bill Shorten," he said to laughs.

"And if Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd don't trust Bill Shorten, why should you?"

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also used her speech to launch a spirited attack on Labor.

The Killing Season had given Australia more than a glimpse into the ALP's psyche, she said.

"The deceit, the treachery, the lies - all there for the world to see."

The party had been exposed as a vehicle for "political narcissists relentlessly pursuing their own self-interests" and was ruled by
"backroom bovver boys with no sense of a moral compass", she told the council.

Mr Shorten dismissed the theatrics.

"The more that the Liberal Party talk about the Labor Party - the more they attack Labor, the more they attack me, every day they attack us - just shows that they have no plan for the future," he told reporters in Melbourne.

While Labor remains ahead of the government in the polls, Treasurer Joe Hockey believes the momentum is swinging back to the coalition.

"The Labor Party's been mugged by reality and that is they can't keep going as an empty vacuum, they need to actually have some policies," he said.