Southland electorate
Southland is currently held by National's Joseph Mooney, who won comfortably with a margin of 5,645. In 2020, Labour won the greatest share of party votes in Southland – 39% to National's 36%. It is the second-largest general electorate in the country, and has been held by the National Party since its establishment in 1996, including by former prime minister Bill English from 1996-2014.
Southland candidates
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Dave Kennedy
Why I'm standing
Aotearoa New Zealand, the land of milk and honey. We produce enough food to feed eight times our population. We have an abundance of natural resources with extensive forests, farmland and the ninth largest economic zone (including our territorial waters) in the world. And yet… Too many of our families do not have a secure healthy home, access to healthy fresh food and we are not meeting our commitments to address climate change.
About me
I have lived and worked in Southland for most of my life. I have been nationally recognised for my leadership in education and currently hold a number of local and national governance roles relating to farmers' markets and food resilience, community housing, environmental issues and museum governance and development. I have experience in facilitating difficult discussions, strategic planning and building collaborative action within diverse communities. I believe in effective consultation and evidence-based decision making.
My priorities
- Support effective responses to climate change to reduce impacts on Southland's people and economy.
- Advocate for more public housing in Southland to replace sold stock and address the housing need.
- Restore our food security and resilience in Southland to address our dependence on outside supply.
Get across the policies, candidates and parties
Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2023 general election. Compare the parties, candidates and policies to see where you stand.
Policies
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Candidates
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Parties
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Things to know...
Your two votes shape New Zealand’s next parliament. You need to be enrolled to vote.
Read explainerEnrol to vote by Sunday 25 October
You need to be enrolled before you can vote. You can enrol online at vote.nz.
Voting day is Saturday 7 November
Head to your nearest voting place on the day, or vote early from 26 October.
You get two votes
One for a party (the party vote) and one for a person in your area (the electorate vote).
Your party vote is the most powerful
It decides how many seats each party gets in Parliament. That’s what Policy helps you figure out.
