The Kiwi Party
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The Kiwi Party
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| Leader | Larry Baldock |
| President | Gordon Copeland |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Dissolved | 2011 |
| Headquarters | 255 Cameron Road, Tauranga 3110 |
| Ideology | Christian democracy, Conservatism |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colours | Blue and Red |
| MPs in the House of Representatives | 0 |
The Kiwi Party was a political party operating in New Zealand between 2007 and 2011. Briefly known as Future New Zealand, it was a breakaway from the United Future New Zealand party and sought 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 2008 general election, the Kiwi Party was unsuccessful, and was not re-elected to Parliament. It did not contest the 2011 general election under its own banner, but the leaders and other members stood for the Conservative Party.
The party advocated more direct democracy through referenda and a return to the "Judeo-Christian ethic in democracy". On 8 February 2012, it requested that the New Zealand Electoral Commission cancel its registration, which rendered it wholly subsumed into the Conservative Party. On its website, it announced that after holding an executive committee meeting in December 2011, the party had agreed to be 'wound up' and 'bring its existence to an end.'
On 16 May 2007, list MP Gordon Copeland resigned from the United Future party, citing differences with party leader Peter Dunne over the latter's support of the child-discipline bill. Copeland announced his intention to re-form an independent Future New Zealand party with former United Future list MP Larry Baldock as co-leader. 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, 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.
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