Auckland, New Zealand — Tongan New Zealander Vi Hausia, the man behind the historic Papatoetoe Local Board election re‑run, is being praised across the Tongan community for his courage, integrity, and unwavering commitment to fairness.
The former deputy chair of the Ōtara‑Papatoetoe Local Board, took the local board election to court after receiving multiple reports that voting papers had been stolen from Papatoetoe residents and fraudulently submitted without their consent.
Hausia alleged widespread theft and irregularities, prompting a formal petition challenging the integrity of the 2025 Papatoetoe subdivision election.
A court investigation later uncovered at least 79 irregularly cast votes, some in the names of people who confirmed they had never voted.
The judge concluded that fraudulent voting had likely “permeated or infected” the election to a degree that materially affected the result, leading to the election being declared void and a court‑ordered re‑run.
Hausia reportedly said he acted out of concern for democratic integrity, emphasising that if he had remained silent, “nothing would have happened.”
“If I’m not going to do this, who’s going to do it?” he said, reflecting on the decision to challenge the original result.
The phrase has resonated deeply within the Tongan community, many of whom see Hausia’s actions as embodying core Pacific values: courage (lototoa), service (ngaue ‘ofa), and responsibility (fatongia).
Local Tongan families have called it a proud moment, noting that Tongans are often underrepresented in decision‑making spaces. Hausia’s stand, they say, opens the door for others to participate more confidently.
When Hausia brought the case into public view, his actions caught the attention of leaders throughout South Auckland.
Among them was Makalita Kolo, a member of the Māngere‑Ōtāhuhu Local Board, who publicly praised him for his courage.
Kolo described Hausia in Tongan as a proud son of the Tongan community, acknowledging that his stand embodied the values of resilience, service, and collective responsibility cherished by Tongans across generations.
“Ko’etau ki’i foha koia ko Vi Hausia na’ane fai hono fakatokanga’i pea hopo’i ai ‘ae ngaue hala/kakaa ko’eni. Malo Vi Lehops V Hausia e ngaue lahi ko’eni,” Kolo wrote in Tongan when congratulating Hausia.
