Gordon Copeland
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| Parl. | Electorate | List Pos. | Party |
| 48th | List | 3 | United Future |
Gordon Copeland is a New Zealand born politician. He is a member of the United Future New Zealand party, having been elected to Parliament as a list MP in the 2002 elections. Previously, he held a number of corporate positions before working as the financial administrator for the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington.
In New Zealand's September 2005 general election, Copeland narrowly bested a low UFNZ share of the total electorate vote to become United Future's second list MP. Since his re-election, he has drawn the ire of social liberals for his social conservative political views. In early December 2005, he introduced his colleague Larry Baldocks' Marriage Amendment(Gender Clarification) Bill, which was heavily defeated. Emulating similar Australian federal and US federal and state legislation, it sought to ban same-sex marriage in New Zealand. Opponents argued that after New Zealand's Court of Appeal had decided Quilter v Attorney General in the mid-nineties, same-sex marriage was a moot issue in common law, and marriage itself continued to be a heterosexual only institution. They also charged that Copeland's real target was New Zealand's controversial Civil Union Act 2004, given that Copeland's unsuccessful legislation sought to amend the Bill of Rights Act 1990 through removing family and marital status from its anti-discrimination sections. New Zealand's Solicitor-General, Hon. Michael Cullen, had rejected the Marriage Amendment (Gender Clarification) Bill as on that basis.
More recently, Copeland has protested against the establishment of a hosted website for Australian euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke's Exit International, and approached the New Zealand Ministers of Immigration and Information Technology, as well as New Zealand Police, to frustrate Nitschke's attempts to resettle in that country. Some critics have speculated that Copeland may try to introduce a private members bill equivalent to Australia's controversial federal Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Material Offences) Act 2005,
It has now also emerged that he wants to introduce another private members ballot bill, designed to require women seeking abortion to undergo compulsory counseling covering both proceeding with the pregnency & abortion prior making a decison. This bill is entitled the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion (Informed Consent) Bill, and appears based on Australian Capital Territory legislation, repealed several years ago. At present, women are not obliged to consult optional counselling services under the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977.Copeland however believes that an "informed" decision is better than an uninformed decision - hence the title to the Bill which has yet to be drawn from rhe Parliamentary ballot. It is anticipated that the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand will point out that anti-abortionists usually comprehend "informed consent" in a skewed way, relying on questionable attributions about abortion, and ignoring risks from pregnancy and childbirth within this context.
Gordon Copeland is a "liberal" politician in other policy areas. For example he has given strong support to the Working for Families package which delivers targeted tax relief to some 350,000 families with children.He also champions income splitting for families with children. He has intrduced a Bill adding private property rights to the NZ Bill of Rights Act & succesfully introduced a mortgage diversion component to the KiwiSaver Scheme. He has advocated for lower taxes for both individuals & companys.His present policy responsibilities include a National control stratergy for deer, chamois & pigs;water quality;walking access for receationalist;a review of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 & climate change. Gordon is married to Anne,has a daughter,four sons & eight grandchildren. Prior to entering parliament he had 14years in the Oil Industry ending as the cfo of BP in NZ. He was also a self employed business consultant with corporate & government clients.He holds a B. Com.degree from Victoria University of Wellington & is a Chartered Accountant. Links:
http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz
http://www.exitinternational.net
http://www.voiceforlife.org.nz
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