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The heartwarming moment hundreds of seasonal workers from Samoa stand on the balconies of their quarantine hotel and sing a traditional Christian hymn as a thank you to Australia has been captured on video.
The contingent of roughly 200 workers arrived two weeks ago in Hobart and are set to finish their isolation stints and go out to work on farms around the country in the coming days.
The clip shows every balcony at the front of the Best Western hotel filled with Samoans singing in unison as workers and onlookers on the street below stop to listen.
The Samoans were singing a rendition of Chris Tomlin s gospel classic How great is our God in their native tongue.
The East-West Center is winding up a two-day virtual meeting of leaders from nations and territories across the Pacific, though notably absent was a leader from Samoa. That's because there is a political standoff between Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and long-ruling prime minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi.
Meet the fascinating bunch running to represent a South Auckland community
Justin Latif | Local Democracy Reporter, South Auckland
There’s a by-election happening in South Auckland and, as Justin Latif reports, you’d struggle to find a more diverse group of candidates.
What do a globetrotting singer, a record-breaking weightlifter, an ex-fisherwoman, a social media expert, a radio show host and an IT guy all have in common?
Not much, other than that they all want to claim the vacant spot on Māngere-Ōtāhuhu’s seven-person local board, for which postal voting is now open (ballots close at midday, February 17).
What do a famous singer, a record-breaking weightlifter, an ex-fisherwoman, a social media expert, a radio show host and an IT guy all have in common?
From top left, Communities and Resident s Malcolm Turner, Labour s Papaliitele Lafulafu Peo, Sharon Bragg, and the NZ Outdoor Party s Phil Bridge (top right), Elnez Tofa, and Christian Malietoa-Brown.
Photo: Supplied / Tina Tiller
Not much, other than that they all want to claim the vacant spot on Māngere-Ōtāhuhu s seven-person local board, for which postal voting is now open (ballots close at midday, 17 February).
Off the back of Labour s crushing election victory last October, former member Anae Neru Leavasa was able to secure the Takanini electorate seat, setting up an opportunity for someone new to represent the 80,000 or so residents of this South Auckland area.