Join us to hear how the local Parties line-up against each other - and have your questions answered to help you decide on your vote. Find out how they propose to provide certainty to businesses and support regional economic development.
What will your party do if newly elected in the first 100 days for SMEs?
Businesses want certainty so they can plan and run their operations successfully, both domestically and in international markets. Our members would like to see cross-party agreement on minimum wage settings, will your party support this?
Regional economic development - if elected what will your party do to support the Otago region to sustainably grow?
Please add any questions you may have to the comments/notes section when you register.
CANDIDATES' BIOS
We would like to give our candidates a warm welcome and below are brief introductions for each of them:
1. Green Party Candidate: Dave Kennedy
I have lived and worked in Southland for most of my life and my home is in Invercargill. I am married to Vicky, have two adult children and am about to be a grandfather for the first time.
I am a retired teacher and past executive member of the New Zealand Educational Institute. I currently hold a number of not for profit leadership roles at a national and local level. These include Farmers’ Markets New Zealand, the Southland Community Housing Group, the Invercargill Public Art Gallery and helping develop a food strategy for Southland as part of the Murihiku Kai Collective. I am also a member of the Southland Business Chamber.
I have tramped, climbed, kayaked and cycled around much of Southland and beyond and recently completed the Tour Aotearoa Brevit, a cycle ride from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
Contact details:
Email: dave.kennedy@greens.org.nz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dave.Kennedy.Southland.Green
Phone: 027 258 6686
2. National Party Candidate: Joseph Mooney
Joseph Mooney MP is the MP for Southland and the National Party Spokesperson for the Tourism, Forestry, Space and Treaty Negotiations portfolios. He also holds an Associate Spokesperson role in Agriculture. Joseph is a member of the Primary Production Select Committee, and the Parliamentary Service Commission Artworks Committee.
Before being elected the MP for Southland, Joseph was a senior trial lawyer, and small business owner, affiliated to the Southland Branch Council of the New Zealand Law Society. He was appointed to the Crown Prosecution Panel for the Invercargill Crown Solicitor by the Deputy Solicitor General in 2017. He was a Youth Advocate appointed by the Court.
Joseph has been an Army reservist and volunteer firefighter and in his spare time he likes to ski, mountain bike, and spend time with his family. He lives in Queenstown with his wife and three children.
Contact details:
Email: joseph.mooney@national.org.nz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephmooneynz
Phone: 03 441 4093
3. Labour Party Candidate: Simon McCallum
I am a University lecturer, game developer, and Labour Party candidate for Southland. I specialise in Artifical Intelligence, and have been working in the field for over 25 years. I currently live in Mosgiel in Dunedin, and work in Wellington.
The impact of AI on society in 2023 will be much more significant than most people seem to grasp. We are about to experience a productivity shock. People in senior roles will become very productive leaving a massive gap in the workforce. We need to prepare and change the way we teach and what we value as a society.
I have been working in game development for 20 years, having created the Game Development course at the University of Otago in 2004. Games are about rules, and how to motivate players. Much of politics is about creating rules that affect society. Our solutions need to engage citizens, rather than just punish them. I want to use my understanding of motivation to help propose innovative solutions for societal challenges we face.
Contact details:
Email: simon.mccallum.labour@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simon.mccallum.labour
LinkedIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/simon-mccallum
Phone: 022 085 3209
4. ACT New Zealand Party Candidate: Todd Stephenson
Todd was born in Lumsden, New Zealand, and lived in various rural communities across Southland before his family moved to Invercargill. He attended James Hargest High School before completing a law degree at the University of Otago.
For the past 17 years Todd has lived in Australia mainly working for large multinational healthcare companies where he has gained experience in leadership and strategy, public affairs, government relations, public policy, and stakeholder engagement. He has a good understanding of the workings and processes of parliamentary democracies, and has maintained an interest in politics supporting issues, candidates, and political parties that align with his classical liberal views.
Todd has been a member of ACT New Zealand since its formation and campaigned for the party at four General Elections from 1996-2005. He was also employed by the party from 1997-2000 and twice elected to the ACT Board.
Todd is standing as a candidate for ACT at the 2023 New Zealand General Election and is ranked number four on the party’s list.
Contact details:
Email: todd.stephenson@act.org.nz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToddStephenson4ACT
Phone: 021 272 2927