"I changed parties because I like Winston and agreed with what he has been saying for years, particularly his views on immigration and other issues which needed fixing."
That included ensuring multinational companies paid their fair share of tax.
Mr Gray said he was not against immigration, but it needed to be better managed so people with the right skills came here and contributed to growth of our economy.
"My focus is on fairness to all, developing and training of our people to create a better life for themselves, driving economic growth, and putting Kiwis at the front of the job queue."
Increasing the minimum wage to $20 a hour was vital.
"If people were being paid a decent wage and businesses could afford to pay their staff better, we wouldn't need the welfare system," he said.
Mr Gray said if elected an MP he would push for central and local Government leaders to work closer together to fix problems.
One of his personal goal was striving to reduce hospital waiting lists to ensure patients were assessed earlier after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour at age 16.
"I'm just an average Joe who pumped gas for years, starting out on a minimum wage at age 18 and worked hard to rise through the ranks to find myself sitting on the board of one of New Zealand's largest service stations," he said.
I want to ensure other people are given the same chance to reach their full potential, and carve out successful careers in their chosen field, he said.
Mr Gray, who is also an elder at St Enoch Presbyterian Church, has served on many local and national boards, including as chairman of the Western Bay of Plenty Rugby Sub Union.
He previously owned six petrol stations but downsized to one this year to go into politics.
