For what its worth

United Future MP Gordon Copeland is ditching United Future over their support for the Bradford Bill.

Which means the Government can now only rely on 59 votes out of 121 in Budget week.

Therefore is conceivable that the Clark regime could fall  this week. But I doubt that will happen.

Update 

Sue Bradford's bill has passed by one hundred and thirteen voting for with seven  voting against.

Its reasonable to assume the subject of this post was one of the seven.

Update 2

Apparently Gordon Copeland is not one of the seven.  He failed to give his proxy vote to Tim Barnett on this bill.  Most strange.

Now the fun begins since he is a list MP United Future will want him out of Parliament and replaced with the next person from their list (which is probably correct).  

This is a matter  yet to be  resolved within our system of MMP.

Comments

[sonic]

If it wasn't for the Green party existing you might have a point.

[Inventory2]

Yes, the Greens. Who will abstain on all confidence and supply issues, leaving the minority government with a majority. Which means that the government can rush its budget legislaton through under urgency, as they have signalled their intention to do. Election please!

[MrTips]

Deaf to the Green party!

[Lucyna]

Good on him! An MP with principles. Bit of an oxymoron, but refreshing all the same.

[sonic]

Listening again to the transcript I think what Mr Tips actually said was "Chef to the Green party". Presumably to whip up some tasty Vegan food.

[peter]

Gosh Andrei are you trying to give us all (and the National Party) a heart attack?

Gordon Copeland is supporting Labour on supply.

He is obviously heading off in a Christian Fundamentalist direction so clearly into his last parliamentary term.

Good thing that Peter Dunne was not swayed.

[sg5]

Copeland should have threatened to withdraw his confidence and supply vote unless Labour and National allowed a conscience vote on the issue. As it is his stand will do nothing.

This is the end of Dunne-sense, as the overwhelming majority of UFNZ's party vote came from supporters of Future New Zealand. Dunne will be a lone MP forever.

[MrTips]

I see Judy Turner has come over all misty eyed.

Oh please...

As for Peter Dunne, it will be debatable as to whether he will really care.

[DarrenG]

I was always impressed by Gordon's grasp of economic and taxation issues.
National would do well to court him.
Not necessarily membership but getting him to change his support for Liarbour.

[sg5]

Ian,
To celebrate National and Labour ramming through the criminalising of parents who smack, you should publicly release the full text of the David Benson-Pope special <http://www.investigatemagazine.com/newshop/enter.html>, to show a type of smacking Labour apparently has no problem with.

[sg5]

Ian,
To celebrate National and Labour ramming through the criminalising of parents who smack, you should publicly release the full text of the David Benson-Pope special,

http://www.investigatemagazine.com/newshop/enter.html

to show a type of smacking Labour apparently has no problem with.

[peter]

Copeland will not be greatly missed will he? A Christian Fundamentalist, who does not understand that he is in Parliament only because of the influence of Peter Dunne.

Dunne has said that he and Copeland discussed possible resignation a week ago and Copeland denied it. At about noon today, Dunne learned the opposite!

As far as I am concerned it is yet another case of Christian fundamentalism and politics failing to blend. Copeland is history, just like the Christian Heritage Party. Destiny is not history but it is totally ridiculous, Bishop Bri indeed!

Exclusive Brethren prop up the list .. again taking themselves far too seriously while treating NZ politics as a plaything!

Disgrace!

[peter]

Copeland will not be greatly missed will he? A Christian Fundamentalist, who does not understand that he is in Parliament only because of the influence of Peter Dunne.

Dunne has said that he and Copeland discussed possible resignation a week ago and Copeland denied it. At about noon today, Dunne learned the opposite!

As far as I am concerned it is yet another case of Christian fundamentalism and politics failing to blend. Copeland is history, just like the Christian Heritage Party. Destiny is not history but it is totally ridiculous, Bishop Bri indeed!

Exclusive Brethren prop up the list .. again taking themselves far too seriously while treating NZ politics as a plaything!

Disgrace!

[andrei]

Peter;

Christian Fundamentalist is getting tired.

Why don't you add TV3's "Staunch Christian" to your repertoire.

FYI Gordon Copeland's promise to support the Government on confidence and supply does not extend beyond tomorrows budget.

A shakey minority Government just got shakier no matter how you spin it.

[MrTips]

Peter
your sanity is really in question. You need help.

[jack]

Christian political parties do not work in NZ because Christianity is very diverse within NZ. Christians do not all congregate at one particular point on the political spectrum.

Furthermore the stance of the Anglican church on the smacking bill proves that there is not even consensus among Christians on the bill that clearly mattered most to Copeland.

If Copeland leads Future New Zealand in a direction that alienates the Anglican church, there is very little chance of reaching the 5% threshold in an election.

Also, the problem with positioning a Christian party to the right of the political spectrum, as opposed to the centre (like in Germany), is that it drastically reduces the amount of power it has when negotiating a coalition or confidence-supply agreement with National. We all know how National treats the ACT party...

In my mind if a Christian political party were to succeed its emphasis would be better placed on 'compassionate conservatism' - e.g. giving people hand-ups rather than hand-outs, while at the same time opposing the traditional vices such as prostitution.

Politics should not, however, revolve single conscience votes.

[The Shrub]

BRING BACK SIR HUMPHREYS.....ADOLF WE MISS YOU....A VOICE OF SANITY AMONGST THIS SORRY LOT....

[dad4justice]

What a man of integrity - can't be in soft cock NZ , you know they're all gutless , can I join your party Gordon as the rest are crap ! I thought I was the last honest man - weep Key and Klark - as you're both on the back burner as I smell big change a coming , about bloody time .

[Gazza]

I think it is fair to remmber that John Key got a major compromise from the govt in return for his support. This compromise saw the legislation reduced to what we already had under Sect.59, resonable force, with different packaging.

Despite the now uselessness of the ant-smacking bill, Sue Bradford was happy she got the numbers to get this through parliament.

Wether she will get enough votes in 2008 to keep herself and the greens in the corridors of power, remains to be seen.

[usabikes]

I can't understand Gazza why Sue B was so opposed to any change of words in the Bill until one was suggested by her mortal political enemy Mr Key. Because I agree, I can't see any difference in the Bill from the old "reasonable force" defence. I can only assume that SB received some sort of assurances that CYFS will still have a free hand to deal with any parent who uses a wooden spoon, maybe even by taking away the child.

Otherwise she seems to have gained no advance & had nothing to celebrate last night. Can anyone help me out? Why was she so happy this went through?