During the next three years, we should spare no effort to pare United Future down to Peter Dunne. I doubt whether anyone would seriously argue with this, no matter what side of the political spectrum one hails from. Having popped off to a post-election dinner party, one ex-Nat ACT supporter growled that Peter Dunne's 'ambulatory blob' had annexed votes that could have gone to a steadying social liberal influence, like her party. And worse still, it had denied National its chance at the Treasury benches. On the other side of the fence, Labour supporters trust UFNZ as far as we can throw them, hopefully over to the Opposition benches this term. UFNZ got three MPs- Peter Dunne, Judy Turner and Gordon Copeland. Dunne has increasingly waxed vitriolic and populist about the Greens and their cannabis decriminalisation stance, but beyond the prehensile gentleman in question, what awaits us in terms of the benighted caucus in question. Dunne has been known to vote sensibly, most recently for the Relationships (Statutory References) Act and stated that he was undecided about the possibility of inclusive adoption law reform. As for Turner, the best that can be said is that she's centre-left on social welfare, but precious little else. She has a pleasant enough demeanour, but that belies her conservative voting record. Copeland is the real headache. Although not as prominent as his vanished fundamentalist ex-colleagues Larry Baldock, Paul Adams and Murray Smith, this conservative Catholic sees nothing wrong in backing tiny unrepresentative sectarian Christian Right pressure groups like Right to Life New Zealand and the Society for Promotion of Community Standards, unknown outside their native Wellington and Christchurch these days. During the last term, he was one of the architects of an ill-fated petition against prostitution law reform. He can be relied upon to be a pain in the neck for the next parliamentary term. We need to insure that UFNZ returns to its one percent voter share, so that its influence on centre-left or centre-right governments of the present and future can be minimal. Recommended: http://www.daystar.co.nz Daystar- Monthly fundamentalist newspaper for Vision New Zealand. Editor Julie Belding is ex-Christian Democrat List MP and former ed of the fundamentalist NZ Baptist. http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz NZ conservative Catholic fortnightly publication. http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz Aforementioned three-member stealth fundamentalist party Craig Young - 26th October 2005