Copeland's date with Destiny on the rocks

Just 24 hours after his union to Destiny NZ was announced, Independent MP Gordon Copeland has suggested the new marriage may already be on the rocks.
On the House blog: Forget Copeland, new political party is Destiny's child

Mr Copeland was left scrambling yesterday by the announcement by the Destiny Church-backed Destiny NZ party that it was deregistering and throwing its weight behind a new political party co-led by Destiny NZ leader Richard Lewis.

Mr Copeland was not warned that Mr Lewis' co-leadership was being announced despite being the other co-leader and was forced to reveal his own role in the new party - after earlier denying knowledge of the shape that it might take.

An upset Mr Copeland told reporters a short time ago that the handling of the issue was woeful.

"This has not gone down well as you could imagine for a whole variety of reasons. It all looks Mickey Mouse and shambolic and that is not the way we planned it and it should never have happened."

He said that not since Prime Minister Helen Clark was "ambushed" by TV3 journalist John Campbell over the Corngate issue on the eve of the 2002 election "has any MP been delivered a curveball like that one".

He spoke with Mr Lewis this morning for two hours, who had "apologised profusely" for the stuff-up.

In a further sign of animosity, he refused to resile from comments yesterday in which he made a point of highlighting Mr Lewis's political inexperience - a clumsy move at a time he should be promoting the party.

But given the surprise he got yesterday by Destiny's announcement, he said his description of Mr Lewis was "well chosen".

- © Fairfax NZ News