Joseph Mooney (New Zealand politician)

Joseph Mooney (born 1979) is a New Zealand politician. In 2020 he was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party.[1]

Joseph Mooney

MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Southland
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded bynew electorate
Personal details
Born1979 (age 41–42)
Political partyNational
Spouse(s)Silvia
Children3
ProfessionLawyer

Early life and career

Mooney is originally from the Hawke's Bay and left school without any qualifications. Mooney worked in a range of areas including "orchards, forestry, fishing boats, building sites, retail stores, and skifields".[2] However, he later went to university where he obtained an honours degree in law. He became a senior trial lawyer and later a member of the Southland Branch Council of the New Zealand Law Society. In 2017 he was appointed by the Deputy Solicitor-General to the Crown Prosecution Panel for the Invercargill Crown Solicitor. He is also a court-appointed Youth Advocate.[3][4]

Mooney has been a volunteer firefighter and army reservist.[3]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–present 53rd Southland 62 National

Mooney was selected as the National Party candidate for the new Southland electorate in July 2020, following Hamish Walker's decision to leave Parliament after he admitted that he had leaked private patient information to the media.[4] Mooney won preference over journalist Olivia Caldwell and Dunedin restaurant manager Matthew French.[4] At the 2020 general election, he was elected to the Southland seat by a margin of 5,645 votes over Labour Party candidate Jon Mitchell. Labour, however, won the party vote in the electorate, with 38.7%.[5] Mooney has identified the first issue he intends to deal with as an MP will be to get more seasonal workers "on the ground" to address the fruit-picking "crisis" in Central Otago.[2] Mooney is one of five new National Party MPs in the 53rd Parliament.[6][7]

Personal life

Mooney and his wife Silvia have three children.[4] He is an enthusiast of skiing and mountain biking.[3]

References
  1. "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". Newstalk ZB. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020 – via The New Zealand Herald.
  2. "National's Joseph Mooney is the new electorate MP for Southland". The Southland Times. Stuff. 17 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. "Mooney picked as National candidate for Southland". Otago Daily Times. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  4. McKenzie-McLean, Jo (31 July 2020). "Queenstown lawyer Joseph Mooney selected to replace Hamish Walker as Southland electorate candidate". Stuff. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  5. "Southland - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via Newstalk ZB.
  7. Lynch, Jenna (6 November 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Judith Collins will 'definitely not' stand down as leader despite National's crushing defeat". Newshub. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
New Zealand Parliament
New constituency Member of Parliament for Southland
2020–present		 Incumbent
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