Tongan leader urges Pasifika to take part in Australia’s election

Australians are voting in record numbers ahead of the federal election on Saturday, with early voting surging past half a million ballots on the first day alone - 22 April.

With over 18 million people enrolled to vote, ABC Australia reports that more than one in five people (22 per cent) have already cast their ballots.

Among those encouraging community engagement is Hahano Ki Mala’ekula Namoa, a Sydney-based Tongan community leader.

“Those votes that count will go to bettering Australia, also Australians and also the cost of living,” he told John Pulu on PMN Tonga, while urging Pacific communities in Australia to make informed choices.

“Do your research, know who you want to vote for and why. I’m team Labor, they've put in more aid now to Tonga in Australian aid, and that goes a long way for our country.”

According to the 2021 census, the Pacific population in Australia was 337,000, accounting for about 1.3 per cent of the total population.

Jope Tarai, a political researcher at the Australian National University, told William Terite on Pacific Mornings that the public mood indicates a close race.

“In the early part of the year, Peter Dutton was definitely dominating the polls in many ways, because he has the ability to stoke fear, or at least the sense of concern in conservative Australia, and in a way, it's quite frightening,” Tarai says.

“Albanese is very much trying to work into aspects of healthcare, working-class issues, cost of living for families, access to housing for middle-class families.”

Watch Hahano Ki Mala’ekula Namoa's full interview below.

Tarai says while climate change may not be a major concern for most Australian voters, there is a crucial topic for Pacific communities.

“The Pacific engagement visa has been something that has captured not only the imagination, but the conversations of Pacific Islanders moving across, largely because it is seen as one of the easiest pathways into Australia to earn a better living and send money back home.”

Namoa, however, does not want to jump to conclusions about the election outcome.

“The last [public debate] that just happened, everyone just already knew that Anthony already has this in the bag. But we'll never know until the 3rd of May.

“It could be anyone's game and anyone could be prime minister come this Saturday.”

The Pacific population in Australia has doubled since 2006. Image/Devpolicy Blog

Indigenous and minority voices

The importance of indigenous voices was highlighted when booing interrupted a traditional welcome at an ANZAC event in Melbourne last weekend.

In the public leaders’ debate, Dutton spoke about wanting “everyone to be equal”. At the same time, Albanese emphasised the importance of First Nations people and multiculturalism in Australia, citing the use of Māori language and traditions in New Zealand events.

In 2023, the Labor government failed to secure a majority for The Voice referendum, which aimed to create an advisory body in Parliament representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Namoa says that embracing all cultures and diversity is important.

“As Pacific Islanders, we know that we're part of the community here, but we're also known as refugees, categorisation-wise.”

Watch Jope Tarai's full interview below.

He voiced concern over what a shift in leadership could mean for marginalised communities.

“If we change now to Peter Dutton, mate, you'll probably see that Donald Trump kind of things, like io fakafoki (return them), back to where they're from. We don't need that.”

A diverse future

In November 2024, the Green Party’s Anasina Grey-Barberio became the first Sāmoan MP in Australia’s state parliament.

Namoa encourages Pacific youth to become more involved in politics.

“We need to start recruiting for our people, our Pasifika people here in Australia, to start sitting at the table where we belong. It's been too long.”