| The Kiwi Party | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader | Larry Baldock |
| President | Gordon Copeland |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | 255 Cameron Road, Tauranga 3110 |
| Ideology | Christian democracy, Conservatism |
| International affiliation | None |
| Official colours | Blue and Red |
| MPs in the House of Representatives | 0 |
| Website | |
| thekiwiparty.org.nz | |
| Politics of New Zealand Political parties Elections |
|
The Kiwi Party is a New Zealand political party. Briefly known as Future New Zealand, it is a breakaway from the United Future New Zealand party and seeks to carry on the tradition of Future New Zealand. The party was formed when MP Gordon Copeland left United Future after a dispute over support for the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007. At the recent 2008 general election, the Kiwi Party was unsuccessful, and was not elected to Parliament.
The party advocates more direct democracy through referenda and a return to the "Judeo-Christian ethic in democracy".[citation needed]
Contents |
Future New Zealand Party after the Child Discipline Act
On May 16, 2007, United Future party list MP Gordon Copeland resigned from his former party, citing differences with party leader Peter Dunne over the latter's support of the child-discipline bill.[1] Copeland announced his intention to re-form an independent Future New Zealand party with former UFNZ List MP Larry Baldock as co-leader.[1] Copeland and Baldock acknowledged that the new party would face difficulties over issues like legal ownership of the party name, but were hopeful that they would be able to attract United Future's former conservative Christian voters. An inaugural meeting was held in Baldock's city of residence, Tauranga,[2] and former United Future List MP Bernie Ogilvy became party secretary. Meanwhile, Brian Tamaki and his Destiny New Zealand party announced that it would contest the New Zealand conservative Christian vote at the next New Zealand general election in 2008.[3]
On June 14, 2007 Copeland announced that Future New Zealand would "not work with, or be part of, a Labour-led government following the 2008 elections".[4] Copeland also gave his proxy vote in Parliament to the National Party (except on matters of confidence and supply).[5]
In June 2007, Copeland announced in his monthly "Copeland's Chronicle" newsletter that FNZ had attracted the necessary five hundred members required for registration under the Electoral Act 1993.[6] Larry Baldock and Copeland were working on establishing a Board of Management and Board of Reference for their new party, still tentatively named "Future New Zealand." He also asserted his right to continue sitting in New Zealand's Parliament as a List MP.
The Kiwi Party
On January 25, 2008, it was announced that the former Future New Zealand was now to be known as the Kiwi Party. Copeland stepped down as co-leader to focus on his Parliamentary responsibilities, leaving Baldock as the sole leader.[7] The party applied to the Electoral Commission to register its new name, and was formally registered on February 15, 2008.[8]
Policies
At the party's South Island conference in Christchurch the party outlined a number of policy ideas:
- people should be able to direct $100 of their income tax to a charity of their choice each year
- lift the adult minimum wage from the expected $12 an hour to $15 an hour
- provide employers with a 100% tax rebate to cover the minimum wage increase
- establish a Royal Commission to investigate the causes of family breakdown, family violence, and child abuse
2008 election
Going into the 2008 elections, the party had only one list MP, and no electorate MPs, in Parliament, and did not register significant support in national polls. Acting secretary Bernie Ogilvy apologised for not applying for free election broadcasting in time; Larry Baldock said "This does make our task just that much harder." [9] For the 2008 election the party fielded twenty five candidates out of a possible seventy.[10]
Gordon Copeland stood for election in the Wellington urban electorate of Rongotai, and polled poorly, attracting only 515 votes. Larry Baldock similarly did not win election in his chosen constituency, Tauranga. At 1893 electorate votes, he polled well behind the victorious National Party's Simon Bridges and his New Zealand First and Labour challengers.[11] In the party votes, the Kiwi Party polled 12,755 in all, which represented only 0.54% of the total votes cast, well short of the 5% required to gain list-only representation without winning an electorate.[12] The party did poorly in the election, being outpolled by the avowedly satirical Bill and Ben Party.[12] Despite this result, the Kiwi Party have stated that they will contest the next general election, to be held in 2011.[13]
Several months after the elections, in March 2009 Gordon Copeland was elected as Kiwi Party President.
Unlike either the Family Party or New Zealand Pacific Party, the Kiwi Party appears to have survived the last general election, and Party Leader Larry Baldock and Party President Gordon Copeland have resumed media releases at the independent media website Scoop.
Mount Albert By-Election: June 2009
After former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark left New Zealand to become the new Director of the United Nations Development Programme, the Kiwi Party selected Simmone Dyer as their candidate for the resulting by-election.[14] Dyer came seventh with 91 votes. The party was again outpolled by the Bill and Ben Party, but narrowly did better than United Future New Zealand, whose Deputy Leader, Judy Turner, came eighth with 89 votes.[15]
Child Discipline Act 2007
Larry Baldock was one of the chief protagonists behind a non binding Citizens Initiated Referendum to repeal the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007. However, Prime Minister John Key has stated his continuing intent to ignore the result. In response, Baldock has begun to circulate a second citizens initiated referendum, calling for binding citizens initiated referenda in future debates.
See also
References
- ^ a b "United Future MP quits party over smacking bill". New Zealand Herald. 2008-05-16. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10440050. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ Dan Eaton (2007-05-22). "Future NZ". The Press. p. A6.
- ^ "Destiny New Zealand enthusiastic about future". Scoop Media. 2007-05-22. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0705/S00403.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ Gordon Copeland (2007-06-14). "Copeland proxy to National". Press release.
- ^ "I want to be National's 49th MP, says defector". New Zealand Herald. 2007-06-15. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10445792&ref=rss. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ Copeland's Chronicle, June 2007
- ^ "Copeland steps down as co-leader of Future NZ". Scoop Media. 2008-01-25. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0801/S00184.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "The Kiwi Party - Application to register a political party". New Zealand Electoral Commission. 2008-01-24. http://www.elections.org.nz/news/ec-media-kiwi-240108.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ Dominion Post 30 May 2008, page B4
- ^ "New Zealand general Election 2008: Summary of Overall Results". New Zealand Electoral Commission. http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2008/e9/html/e9_part1.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "Election Results -- Tauranga". Chief Electoral Office. November 2008. http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-51.html. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
- ^ a b "Election Results -- Rongotai". Chief Electoral Office. November 2008. http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-45.html. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
- ^ "Christian parties barely register in NZ election". NZ Catholic. 2008-11-12. http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=1634. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "Candidate for Mt Albert selected by Kiwi Party". Scoop Media. 2009-05-04. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0905/S00041.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "2009 Mt Albert By-election official results". New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 2009-06-24. http://www.elections.org.nz/news/mt-albert-by-election-official-results.html. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
External links
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