KEY POINTS:
Plans for a united Christian party have fallen into further disarray with several of the main players contradicting each other in a fresh round of public bickering.
Independent MP Gordon Copeland - one of the proposed leaders - today said he would refuse to be part of a party that had Destiny Church's Richard Lewis as a co-leader as the pair were not on the "same page politically".
Mr Copeland admitted he had previously agreed to Mr Lewis being a co-leader, despite on Tuesday appearing to indicate he did not believe Mr Lewis had the experience for the job.
He tried to explain his stance by saying Mr Lewis and Destiny Bishop Brian Tamaki's unscheduled and unilateral announcement of his co-leadership on Tuesday had destroyed the trust needed in any such arrangement.
The former United Future MP said he was still willing to see if a united Christian party could get off the ground, but could not commit to it, saying several issues needed to be "thrashed out" if it was to happen.
He said Mr Lewis' removal from the co-leadership would be a bottom line.
But Mr Lewis today said the party's national advisory council had unanimously decided, with Mr Copeland's agreement, on the co-leadership and he was keen to continue in the role.
Tuesday's announcement was merely a case of he and Mr Tamaki being "up front" with the public and Mr Copeland's reaction had been over the top.
At no point in his meeting with Mr Copeland yesterday had the independent MP said he would refuse to work with him as a co-leader and Mr Copeland's subsequent statements along those lines had been bewildering.
Mr Lewis said he was still keen to work with Mr Copeland as a co-leader, but would not directly express trust in him.
"Sometimes trust is established over time. Our relationship together is still very young."
Mr Lewis said he was trying to bring forward the next planned meeting of the national advisory council so the leadership issues could be resolved.
He said Destiny's supporters had been very excited over the prospect of a single Christian party, but had been disillusioned by events this week.
Meanwhile independent MP Taito Phillip Field's representative on the new party's national advisory council, Ian Anderson, also said Mr Lewis and Mr Tamaki's statements on Tuesday had been a result of "openness" and "honesty" and he was "staggered" by Mr Copeland's response.
Mr Anderson was under the impression Mr Copeland had withdrawn from the co-leadership of the new party.
"Based on this most recent development, I have to question whether Gordon Copeland ever intended to follow through with the agreements but rather just wanted the Destiny Party off the radar."
Former United Future MP Paul Adams, who said he had been involved in putting together the new party for the past 18 months, said he also believed Mr Tamaki and Mr Lewis had merely been transparent and honest to reveal their roles in the new party.
In other statements today, Mr Copeland said Mr Field remained a candidate for co-leadership of the new party if he was cleared of corruption charges.
However the national advisory council would have to decide on that.
Asked about the membership of the council, Mr Copeland refused to disclose identities, saying he hoped they remained secret as they were acting in a non-official capacity and could get in trouble with their churches.
Mr Copeland said the approximately 12-strong council was exclusively male, but questioned further said one woman had been present, but would not say if she was a member or merely an observer.
The Catholic Church has revealed one of its spokeswoman had been present at meetings as an observer.
Mr Lewis tonight added to the confusion by issuing a statement saying he regretted Mr Copeland's "withdrawal" from the co-leadership.
He appears to have interpreted Mr Copeland's comments to mean the MP is not interested in the position whoever he has to work with.
"I am hugely disappointed about the developments of the last two days," Mr Lewis said.
"Through all of this, I have sought to conduct myself in the best interests of the new party."
- NZPA
