Election 2023: Vision New Zealand candidate for Tauranga, Leon Samuels, on Local Focus Candidate Camera

Watch the Local Focus video to see all Leon Samuels’ answers on a range of important questions.

Destiny Church pastor Leon Samuels is running for Vision New Zealand in Tauranga this election.

The father of three cites his work at “ground level” working with male offenders and young people as qualification for being a good MP for Tauranga.

“My parents had always raised us in such a way that character, morals, good values and good work ethic outweighed the colour of your skin,” he said.

That character came under pressure during the epidemic, he admits, as people in the anti-vax and anti-mandate movement around him tried to get him to join in the abuse of then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

“For me, I still had that respect,” he said. “That’s something that my parents raised us in.

“I saw it. And I heard it. But I think there were a crowd, or a certain amount of people who were starting fires online, and I think you get that in any group to be honest. The ones that are just over-the-top.”

Watch interviews with other candidates for Tauranga electorate:

Local Focus: National Party candidate, Sam Uffindell on Candidate Camera

Local Focus: Labour candidate Jan Tinetti on Candidate Camera

Local Focus: New Zealand First candidate, Erika Harvey on Candidate Camera

Local Focus: Act Party candidate, Christine Young on Candidate Camera

Local Focus: Vision New Zealand candidate, Leon Samuels on Candidate Camera

Local Focus: New Conservative candidate, Jono Langridge on Candidate Camera

Local Focus: Independent candidate, Larry Baldock on Candidate Camera

Public Interest Journalism Fund