Local Focus: Dion Jensen on Candidate Camera

Watch the full Local Focus interview for Jensen's views on the region's biggest issues, and our less important quickfire questions.

Dion Jensen's favourite meal is a "poor man's shepherd's pie", a Kiwi concoction of "mince, mixed vegetables [and] Worcestershire Sauce".

At the other end of the scale, his favourite Palmerston North restaurant is Phnom Penh Oriental Delight.

But Jensen is keen to remind voters that "Asian New Zealanders are going to overtake Māori New Zealanders, by demographic, in the next 18 months to two years".

Jensen says he is born in Singapore, brought up in te Ao Māori and is ethnically Samoan".

He believes "we have to be careful on the democracy side" and Palmerston North residents should be "learning future skills".

"Everyone is coming down to the South Pacific, and New Zealand is a place that they want to position because there's heaps of land and water here."

When asked how he would respond to the city's pothole issue, Jensen made it clear his "main focus is stopping people killing themselves and making sure that people can eat".

"If you're going to make a vote on potholes in this city, there's more serious concerns that I have."

Some other councillor candidates were not available to be interviewed and others chose to not be interviewed by Local Focus.

Some other mayoral candidates were not available to be interviewed and others chose to not be interviewed by Local Focus.