Gordon Copeland Is Gordon Copeland this parliamentary term's version of John Banks? And does he even have a future with United Future? Let's see what Sue Bradford had to say when it came to Copeland's QC opinion that marked the latest rearguard Christian Right attempt to sabotage Section 59 Repeal: "Gordon Copeland's legal adviser Peter McKenzie QC, is no stranger to conservative moral crusades, having represented the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards in its campaign against the film Baise-Moi and in its attempts to get anti-gay videos into schools, and other groups like the anti-abortion campaigners Right to Life" How interesting, but also, how par for the course for Copeland. Ever since he got into Parliament, he's been promoting the Christian Right agenda. Most notoriously, in our context, when he tried to introduce a same-sex marriage ban bill into Parliament that would have gutted the marital and family status provisions of the Human Rights Act at the same time. He's also on record as trying to force women considering abortion to have to view anti-abortion propaganda under the guise of bogus 'informed consent.' Despite the fact that most Catholic child health, welfare and development workers support repeal, Copeland is offside with them as well. He's even offside with his own leader, Peter Dunne, when he attacked him for voting for the first and second readings of the Bradford anti-beating bill. Copeland is a liability to his party. Every time Dunne does or says anything even remotely centrist and moderate, Copeland is there to advance the hardcore Christian Right Future New Zealand fundamentalist agenda. He almost wasn't, of course. If United Future had only had a few thousand less votes, then Copeland wouldn't have been there. One hopes that Mr Dunne will finally haul his miscreant member across the coals for this latest outburst. Unfortunately, though, I rather doubt it. Recommended: http://www.scoop.co.nz Scoop http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz United Future NZ website Craig Young - 6th March 2007