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1 week ago | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua |Lucy Cooper
Pacific Islanders in the state of Victoria will be among the 18 million voters in Australia set to head to the polls tomorrow. According to regional statistics, just under 80,000 Victorians are of Pacific Islander heritage, of which over 28,000 were born in the islands. There are no statistics available on where Australia's Pacific Islander demographic leans towards in federal elections.
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1 week ago | 
abc.net.au | Lucy Cooper |Finau Fonua
Program: Pasifika voters heading to the Australian polls say cost of living, climate, immigration, and the economy key issues influencing their vote6h ago6 hours agoThu 1 May 2025 at 8:00pmSpace to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
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3 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
In Samoa, the controversial practice of people being banished from their villages has been highlighted by recent media reports. Last week, Samoa Observer reported a matai chief was controversially banished from the village of Fausaga for making rude social media comments against a senior chief. In another unrelated report, a man was found by Samoa's Land court to have been wrongfully banished after he testified in a police case against a politician.
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3 weeks ago | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
In Samoa there are concerns the practice of banishing people from villages is being abused and has become politically motivated. Last week, the Samoa Observer reported a matai chief was banished from the village of Fausaga for making rude comments on social media against a senior chief. Separately, a man was found by Samoa's Land Court to have been wrongfully banished after he testified in a police case against a politician.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
Melbourne's multicultural festival, the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts is currently underway with traditional and contemporary art, fashion, music and performances on display in community halls, museums and galleries throughout the city. The three week event is held annually in the art and fashion capital of Australia...offering an opportunity for the public to experience Asian and Pacific island cultures.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
Samoan-Australian tennis player Destanee Aiava has bowed out of the Australian Open after a gritty second-round match loss to American Danielle Collins. Aiava lost the first set before winning in the second, but Collins the world number 11 rallied to win the third set against the crowd favourite. The Melbourne-based player won her first grand slam last week when she defeated Belgian Greet Minnen.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
Fiji may be among the more developed of Pacific economies, but recent reports says around 200,000 people or a fifth of the total population are living in squatter settlements. It's prompted charities - Oxfam and Fiji's Habitat for Humanity to urge the government to do more to help those living in poverty. "It's a huge problem," said Susana Naidu, director for Fiji's Habitat for Humanity.
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Dec 4, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
Vanuatu's special envoy to the International Court of Justice, has denounced submissions made by the Australian, US, Saudi Arabian, and Chinese Governments at a hearing on climate change accountability. The world's highest court is meeting for two weeks to consider whether states have obligations beyond international climate accords like the Paris Agreement.
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Nov 27, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
Samoan woman Anasina Gray-Barberio made history earlier this month when she was sworn into Victoria's Parliament - making her the first Pasifika MP ever in Australia's second most populous state. In her maiden speech in Parliament, on Wednesday, the MP paid tribute to her Samoan background and family while raising the concerns of her Australian constituency. Melbourne's Pasifika community was there to mark the event, and a choir sang hymns from the parliament's hallway.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Finau Fonua
The presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is predicted to be a tight and fiercely contested event. Among the voting demographics are Americans of Pacific Islander heritage, who make up only 0.5% of the US population. The two states with the most Pacific Islanders - Hawaii and California - are likely to vote democrat. But in other areas of the country with significant Pacific Islander populations, the results could go either way. Voter concerns are also varied.
