Gordon Copeland Press Release
For Immediate Release
Thursday, 6th September 2007

Copeland disappointed in National

Independent MP Gordon Copeland has expressed his deep disappointment in the National Party who have today advised him that they will not be supporting his Private Property Rights Bill on its report back from the Justice and Electoral Committee.

“My Bill passed its first reading, with the backing of all parties in the House except the Greens, way back in May 2005. It simply adds to the New Zealand Bill of Rights (NZBOR) the private property rights which are in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

“Even Sir Geoffrey Palmer, known as the father of the New Zealand Bill of Rights, has publicly stated that the omission of private property rights from the NZBOR was a mistake.”

“Until I was advised to the contrary this morning, I had repeatedly been assured by the National Party that they would be supporting the Bill. I am therefore very disappointed that they have whimped out in this way.”

“To rub salt into the wounds, they have the audacity to continue to claim that their Party ‘strongly support property rights’. Yeah right! Where is that Tui billboard ad?”

Mr Copeland advised that his Bill was strongly supported by Federated Farmers, the New Zealand Business Roundtable, Business New Zealand, and the Coalition of Treaty Tribes to name but a few.

“All of these groups, along with all property owners in New Zealand, will be amazed that the party of Don Brash, Jim Bolger, Rob Muldoon, Jack Marshall, and Keith Holyoake would, of all things, whimp out on an issue of such central important to the functioning of western civilisation.”

“My new party, Future New Zealand, will have a commitment to property rights because they are a Judeo-Christian value.”

ENDS

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