Local Focus: Who is Josh Cole, Green candidate for Tauranga?

Born and bred in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland, Green Party candidate Josh Cole became interested in workers' rights after 20 years of working in retail. Little did he know that he had autism.

"I was an employee and employers didn't really get me because of my undiagnosed autism as it happens, so I developed a passion for workers' rights and unionisation."

Cole said 20 years in retail wasn't working for him because of "minimum wage and successive governments focusing on the economy and not on social issues enough."

In this Local Focus video, Cole discusses his "life-saving" upbringing in nature, living with autism and raising two children with autism.

"There's a lot of Green Party issues there… agriculture, social justice, workers rights, nature and that's why I've gravitated towards the Green Party, because they stand for all those things," said Cole.

He also favours peanut butter in a big way.

Also standing in the Tauranga electorate:
• Paul Hignett for New Conservatives
• Tracy Livingstone for the Outdoors Party
• Daniel Crosa for Advance NZ
• James Capamagian – Independent
• Yvette Lamare - Independent

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