Copeland won preselection to contest the state seat of Cunningham for the National Party defeating the Mayor of the Jondaryan Shire Peter Taylor.
[2] Copeland was appointed Shadow Minister for Families, Disabilities, Youth and The Arts, and went on to hold the portfolios of Education, Training, Multicultural Policy, Health, Open Government, Justice and Attorney General.
The speech contained serious allegations against the clinical competence of a Dr Patel, an overseas trained surgeon working at the Bundaberg Base Hospital.
In August 2005, Nuttall stepped aside from the Ministry while the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) investigated claims he had given a false answer to a Parliamentary estimates committee regarding his prior knowledge of problems with overseas-trained doctors.
[7] Under the terms of the constitution of the newly formed LNP following the amalgamation of the National and Liberal Parties in Queensland, all sitting Members of Parliament, State and Federal, were automatically endorsed (or “grandfathered”) for their next election.
[8] The majority of the new Condamine's voters came from Darling Downs, held by fellow LNP member Ray Hopper, who like Copeland was from the National side of the merger.
Following his departure from Parliament, Copeland was employed by the University of Southern Queensland as the Principal Manager, Government and Community in USQ's Office of External Relations.