National's Joseph Mooney is the new electorate MP for Southland
New National Party MP Joseph Mooney will serve his first term in Parliament in an electorate that showed some dissatisfaction with his party on Saturday night.
Mooney is the new electorate MP for Southland, but Labour won the party vote.
The new Southland electorate encompasses much of the former Clutha-Southland area, which has traditionally been a National stronghold and was home to former Prime Minister Bill English for more than 20 years.
“The very first thing I’ll do is try to get [fruit] pickers on the ground and Recognised Seasonal Employers workers, because we have a crisis on our doorstep in Central Otago. Queenstown and Te Anau are also heavily reliant on migrant workers and Kiwis aren’t doing that work, so we need to get people on the ground in there," Mooney says.
“Also our rural contractors and farmers are heavily reliant on migrant workers because Kiwis either aren’t doing that work or they’re not trained to do it.’’
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.5% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.4% I want to be able to choose.
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47.2% Against. I want to deal with people.
Time to Tickle Your Thinker 🧠
If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?
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Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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