KEY POINTS:
Gordon Copeland's walkout on United Future to re-establish Future New Zealand will mean a bit of back to the future for the MP and the party.
Mr Copeland was among the firm Christians grafted onto Peter Dunne's United Party in 2000 when it merged with Future New Zealand - a Christian, family values party.
The 63-year-old has five children and eight grandchildren. Before he entered Parliament, he was a chartered accountant and worked in the oil industry before becoming a business consultant.
He was financial administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington, and later chaired an inter-church working party on taxation.
Elected in 2002, he stressed his concern for the disintegration of the "social fabric" and dismissed the "cult of political correctness".
He opposed the microchipping of farm dogs and warned against any sale of Air New Zealand to Qantas.
He pushed for the sale of up to 40 per cent shares in almost all state owned enterprises because "governments aren't good at running businesses". He also promoted a 2004 member's bill to remove GST from local government rates which failed to make it past the first hurdle.
This week he criticised Labour for refusing to adjust the tax thresholds in today's Budget.
For conscience votes, he stuck to his Christian ethos - the Civil Unions Bill and the change to the drinking age were opposed. He also drew up a member's bill to discourage women from seeking abortions.
