made, such a bid. After resigning, Copeland missed the vote against the Bill that he had quit his party over, when the debate ended well ahead of its scheduled two hours. He had his vote against the Bill recorded retrospectively by leave of the House. As an independent MP, Copeland gave a proxy vote to the Opposition National Party to cast on his behalf while absent from the House, for any matters apart from confidence and supply. Future New Zealand Party / The Kiwi Party Copeland announced that he would form a separate Future New Zealand party with ex-United Future List MP Larry Baldock. According to Copeland, Future New Zealand already had 16 to 20 members, and Baldock said that 45 former Future New Zealand party members had attended an inaugural meeting in Tauranga. Former United Future list MP Bernie Ogilvy became the party secretary of Future New Zealand, according to the website. In June 2007, Copeland announced in his monthly "Copeland's Chronicle" newsletter that Future New Zealand had attracted the necessary 500 members required for registration under the Electoral Act 1993. 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". Copeland also asserted his right to continue sitting in New Zealand's Parliament as a list MP. On 17 September 2007, Copeland publicly confirmed an intention to co-lead a new political party with Richard Lewis, after Bishop Brian Tamaki, founder of the Destiny New Zealand party, had announced it at a press conference without Copeland's knowledge. However, that announcement, coupled with Tamaki's statements that the Destiny New Zealand party would de-register and that he would not rule out a candidacy in the 2008 elections, gave the media the impression that the new party, which had no name, would be just a re-formed Destiny Party. Rank-and-file members of Future New Zealand immediately reacted negatively to that perception, so Copeland announced on 20 September 2007 that he "could not work" with Lewis, and would remain co-leader of Future New Zealand with Baldock. In October 2007 Copeland distanced himself from The Family Party, led by Lewis, which formed out of Destiny New Zealand, and said he would contest the 2008 election under the Future New Zealand banner. On 28 January 2008, Future New Zealand changed its name to The Kiwi Party and Copeland relinquished his joint leadership