NEWS

The VUWSA President leads the Executive and acts as the association’s principal student representative, advocating for students to the University and local and central government. This year, Skyla Ashford, Charlotte Lawrence and Ethan Rogacion are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read across the next three pages. Candidate: Ethan Rogacion You’ve criticised a culture of ove

The ballots are in. Now we wait to see which bird rules the roost. The year’s third-most-anticipated election is over. Voting has closed in Forest & Bird’s 2026 Bird of the Year, and somewhere in the depths of the ballot box, Aotearoa’s next celebrity is waiting to be crowned. For the past few weeks, more than 70 native birds have been competing for the title, complete with campaign managers, endorsements, and increasingly committed supporters. But behind the memes and electo

The Welfare Vice-President advocates for student wellbeing and support, with a focus on issues including financial hardship, housing, health, equity and access to education. This year, Pyper Adams, Sasha Boyce and Katie Townsend are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read below. Candidate: Katie Townsend Of food, housing, and health, which would you prioritise first, and why

The Academic Vice-President represents students on academic issues, working with students and University staff on academic programmes, policies and procedures, and helping lead VUWSA’s student-representation work. This year, Sage Garrett, Aría Lal and Shay McEwan are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read below. Candidate: Shay McEwen What have you learned from your curren

The Engagement Vice-President leads VUWSA’s student-engagement work, working across clubs, campaigns and events to strengthen participation in campus life and connect students with the association. This year, Lewis Collins, Sophie Guerin and Akasha Sergeant are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read below. Candidate: Akasha Sergeant What would you do to make VUWSA more visi

In the run-up to the 2026 election, Salient is interviewing all the major parties to understand their responses to the issues students face. Here, Dr Parmjeet Parmar, ACT list MP and tertiary education spokesperson, pitches ACT. What is the biggest challenge facing students in New Zealand in 2026? One of the issues which I've heard in various debates is definitely the cost of living issue. I know it's a genuine thing as students have limited hours to work alongside their stud

Election season brings with it one of democracy’s less celebrated traditions: covering every available fence, verge, and intersection with enormous photographs of candidates telling you to vote for them. And, almost as reliably, someone gives one a moustache. Election billboard vandalism is hardly new. Candidates have long acquired missing teeth, devil horns, and various anatomical additions before election day. But this year, Wellington’s vandals seem to have developed ambit

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney I have to start today’s piece with an apology to our dear Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon. Last time around, I claimed that he would not be attending the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) this year, but it turns out he did in fact make himself present. Luxon flew over and spent the last 36 hours in Palau, just in time for the hand shaking and photo ops that closed the gathering out. If Luxon wins this year's election, he will have the opp

In the run-up to the 2026 election, Salient is interviewing all the major parties to understand their responses to the issues students face. Here, former Vic student and National’s youngest MP Tom Rutherford pitches National. What is the biggest challenge facing students in New Zealand in 2026? Without a doubt it's cost of living and the state of the economy. I think students are under pressure and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. Over the last three years rents have started s

Psi/Andrew Booth A series of anonymous attack ads targeting candidates in the VUWSA election have appeared on Instagram in recent weeks, with some using AI-generated imagery and falsely claiming to have been authorised by current candidates. Salient has identified links between two accounts involved in the campaign, @studentlobbyist and @vuwsagirl. Separately, @vuwsagirl has been linked to an earlier advertisement associated with the Save Our Clubs campaign. Save Our Clubs sa

Election campaigns are very good at telling you that this is the most important election of your lifetime. They are less good at telling you whether your bus fare will go down, whether your rent might be capped, or what happens to your student loan once you graduate. This guide tries to make that choice a little easier. It breaks down what each of the six parties currently represented in Parliament—National, Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori, ACT, and New Zealand First—is a

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney That time of year I know you’ve all waited for with baited breath has finally arrived. I am, of course, talking about the Pacific Islands Forum, where the leaders of the Pacific congregate to hash out the big issues facing the region. Well, that’s what it’s supposed to be at least. This year, it is to take place in Palau, and by the time this article is released the conference will have concluded. But from where I'm seated, things wil

In the run-up to the 2026 election, Salient is interviewing all of the major parties to understand their responses to the issues students face. Here, Shanan Halbert, Labour list MP and Tertiary Education spokesperson pitches Labour. What is the biggest challenge facing students in New Zealand in 2026? Students are paying more to live and more to study, which is making higher education less accessible. Labour stands by ensuring tertiary education is accessible to everyone in t

The Electoral Amendment Act 2025 came into force on 20 December 2025 and was fully in place by 1 January 2026, making several changes to the Electoral Act of 1993 and therefore altering the way the general election will be run on Saturday 7 November, 2026. Among the changes is an amendment to electoral law that stipulates the last day to enrol to vote or update your enrolment details is 25 October, thirteen days before the Election Day. Previously, any unenrolled person wishi

Aotearoa flaunts some of the world’s most unique and captivating landscapes, with its rolling greenery, dramatic fjords, golden beaches, and striking mountain ranges. The scenery brings only one idea to mind: what a perfect place to build a 78,000 square meter AI data centre. That is presumably what Singapore based company Datagrid said when they submitted their proposal to build exactly that in Makarewa, just North of Invercargill. The 3.5-billion-dollar project has gained a

Zara Boon The Israeli embassy in Wellington is reportedly preparing to move from its Brandon Street offices to the Fisher Funds building at 20 Ballance Street, following more than a year of regular pro-Palestinian protests outside its current location. The planned relocation was reported by The Post in May. The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA), citing that report, said only some occupants of the 13-storey Ballance Street building had been told that the embassy was

Cybersecurity Company With Deep Links to Israel Visit the Hub Mantis Toboggan, M.D. It’s week two of the mid trimester break at Kelburn campus. The library is sparsely populated, but the hub is a hive of smart-casual clothes, caterers running around with canapés and coffees, and the grating chatter of tech bros. The Tertiary ICT Conference 2026 is being hosted in The Hub at Kelburn Campus, with the theme of “Imagine | Empower | Belong.” Major brands like PB Tech, Microsoft, a

In the run-up to the 2026 election, Salient is interviewing all of the major parties to understand their responses to the issues students face. Here, Keegan Langeveld, young New Zealand First chairman and candidate for Auckland’s Maungakiekie electorate pitches NZ First. What is the biggest challenge facing students in New Zealand in 2026? Cost of living, but more specifically power prices. Daily fixed charges have skyrocketed in the last few years, and that's where most stu

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney We still have quite some time before November 7, our beautiful election date, and yet I am already sick to death of polls and surveys. I don’t know how many times I can see a series of numbers and percentages that tell me no one is happy before I consider disengaging from politics and picking up a new hobby like fly fishing or crocheting. But I would miss Christopher Luxon’s exceptional oratory skills too much to ever do that. One sur

CW: Cancer, familial loss. On Friday 28th August, San Fran will come alive with Pōneke’s best dance music as more than 15 DJ’s take the decks from six o’clock all the way until three in the morning. All of them are doing it for free, with the entirety of profits set to be donated to Cancer Society New Zealand. The fundraiser, dubbed Daffodil Dancefloor, is the brainchild of Ben Bonetti. Together with Gabe Stuart, Jessica Arndt, and Seini Denicaucau, as well as the support of

Students will elect one of their two representatives on the University Council when voting opens on Monday, 10 August. The Council is Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s highest governing body, responsible for overseeing the institution’s strategy, finances, leadership, and long-term direction. Electronic voting will close at 5pm on Friday, 14 August. All students are eligible to vote, and the election will use first-past-the-post, meaning the candidate with t

Despite his right-wing political connections, Arie Joe’s campaign for a seat on the University Council prominently features the branding of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. Joe’s candidacy has also brought attention to his Save Our Clubs campaign, his admitted use of pirated analysis software, and a domain registration bearing his name for an invite-only men’s club. Arie Joe, a former Wellington president of the Taxpayers’ Union youth wing (Generation Screwed) is running

The National Party appears to have developed a new campaign strategy just in time for the election. It is called amnesia. National is suddenly presenting themselves as the party prepared to fix the justice system for survivors of sexual violence. The rebrand only works, however, if we forget what the National-led Government has already done with the power they have. In May 2025, the Government rewrote the pay-equity system and forced the legislation through every stage un

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney It’s hard to deny the importance of sport in the Pacific. Our sea of islands has produced countless athletic success stories, and Pacific peoples have become famous world-wide for their sporting achievements. Not only is sport a great cultural unifier, but it is also an essential pathway for many Pacific people to find a level of success that is much harder to come by otherwise. In smaller nations that depend on their relationships wi

New Zealand loves cats. We have one of the highest rates of cat ownership in the world. But is owning one realistic for students? Iona Anderson, president of Cats Protection Wellington, says there is a lot to consider before adopting a cat. “There are some things we’d want to talk through with a student wanting to adopt,” says Anderson. “How long will they be a student for? Are they intending to travel at the end of uni—a lot of people want to get out of the country, and a c

In 2023, I adopted my cat, Beans, from the Wellington SPCA. I had moved to Wellington from the United States the year before, and adopting her felt like a way to mark my first anniversary in the city. Wellington was beginning to feel less like somewhere I was temporarily living and more like somewhere I could build a future. With all my family still in the United States, I wanted a companion. A pet seemed like the closest thing to having family here. I was drawn to cats b

Te Herenga Waka student Milla Brown says there has been “so many benefits” since she began fostering Bella, a 17-year-old cat, through Cats Protection Wellington’s senior foster program last June. She described the long-haired domestic as “really good company” and a great source of emotional support as well as entertainment. “She’s very cute, she’s very cuddly. She hangs around giving people cuddles, eats, sleeps—rinse and repeat. “The good thing with an animal is that when

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN THE MOANA The Rock’s horrific wig in the live-action Moana was not the only distressing thing in the Pacific news landscape this month. Movies I don’t plan on watching because they look AI generated aside, there is much to be discussed about the ever-changing ocean we all inhabit. So let's run down some of the significant stories from July, from further escalations in occupied West Papua to even more securi

New tenancy rules make it harder for landlords to reject pets without explanation, but students wanting a pet may still face added costs, shared liability, and restrictions based on where they live. Since 1 December 2025, tenants have been able to ask their landlord for permission to keep a pet under changes to the Residential Tenancies Act. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse a request. However, tenants must receive permission before bringing the animal into the property, u

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney It’s safe to say that the Cook Islands have had their fair share of political scandals and moments of tension over the past few years. The current Prime Minister, Mark Brown, has seen the spotlight quite a bit since that very public stoush over a deal signed with China that New Zealand was not consulted on. While that might seem like us poking our nose in other islands' business, in all fairness the Cook Islands exist under a ‘special

If you’ve visited Mauri Ora’s reception lately, you might have noticed some changes. There’s a wall… with plants. But the lovable, joyous fish tank which soothed the room? It’s gone. As avid fish fans—In 2024, Salient proudly led a proposal for VUWSA to spend $7,000 adopting a shark—we sought to get to the bottom of this fishy business. Removing Mauri Ora’s fish tank was clearly a load of carp, so we demanded answers from Mauri Ora’s head sturgeon himself, Kevin Rowlatt. “

The Public-Private Partnership That Requires Your Urinary Tract On Monday, Health Minister Simeon Brown unveiled what he called a “bold, innovative step” to grow New Zealand’s private health sector, announcing a new initiative to “legalise ketamine to all under 35s” and “give it out to anyone under 30 for free.” Officials stressed the policy is not a drug giveaway. It is, they said, “a targeted economic intervention,” designed to “unlock capacity” and “reduce pressure” on the

As a high-school student, I became obsessed with OneSushi’s chicken katsu bowl. I still am. It was a cheap, reliable lunch that offered plenty of bang for your buck. I wasn’t the only one. In a 2017 post on r/newzealand, one user gushed about OneSushi’s “small” chicken katsu bowl costing just $7. Today, the same bowl costs $13.50—a 93% increase. Inflation has been brutal, and has been for years. But not that brutal. According to the Reserve Bank’s inflation calculator, $7 i

Lauren Morley The Opportunity Party (previously known as TOP) is, for the fourth election in a row, braving the ever changing political landscape. Free from ideology and rhetoric, Opportunity is campaigning to be the next kingmaker, and the bridge builders our parliament so desperately needs. Since their recent rise in the polls, Opportunity has become subject to a wide range of scrutiny. Interestingly, their criticisms have been quite contradictory. The left-wing parties cl

Plans for Student Health to offer free ADHD assessments from trimester two will not go ahead after the service failed to secure the additional funding needed to run them without worsening wait times for other patients. Student Health Director Kevin Rowlatt told Salient the proposed service would have required extra clinical staff, with an in-house pathway estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000 each year. “We were not able to secure that additional funding at this sta

Sally Stirrup It’s that time of year again where the rain clouds hang heavy in the sky, threatening to unleash precipitation on all humble umbrella-fighting, coat-forgetting, electronics-protecting students. But the late waterlogged arrival to class is not the worst of it, oh no! For there is something far more sinister the humble pedestrian fears… a slippage, and not of the nipple variety. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t stop it from slipping

Capital gains tax is back on New Zealand’s political agenda. Labour has promised to introduce a targeted capital gains tax if elected in 2026, while National has pledged that it will not introduce one. The debate has already produced the usual combination of tax jargon, frightening hypotheticals and arguments about whether landlords are hardworking investors or property-hoarding parasites. Before deciding who is right, it helps to understand what is actually being proposed.

After more than 30 years as a communal home and independent arts space, the residents of 13 Garrett Street will leave the central Pōneke building on 22 November. The residents announced the end of their tenancy in a 7 July Instagram post, saying the building’s new owners planned to carry out earthquake-strengthening work and redevelop the property. Under the proposed redevelopment, the ground floor—currently occupied by café Pour & Twist and clothing store Dirty Laundry—will

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney Aotearoa’s own Tāmaki Makaurau is often referred to as the largest Pacific city in the world, and there is much truth in that description. The city’s Pacific population exists in all corners of Aotearoa’s most populous city, but suburbs and neighborhoods within South Auckland have become the most famous examples of the Pacific community in the city. Māngere, Manurewa, and Takānini in particular have become significant targets for a ce

Ryan Reinolds As New Zealand hurtles towards the 2026 General Election, every political party is scrambling for voters' attention. The Opportunities Party (TOP) is no exception, having unveiled its latest election blueprint under the reassuring title: “No Guys, Trust Us, This Time." For most political parties, three consecutive election defeats would surely prompt a period of reflection. For TOP, however, it has prompted a rebrand of the exact same PowerPoint presentation. S

What’s the most effective way to make change? Have a broad church representing multiple interests? Or have small, targeted groups trying to make incremental change in specific areas? It’s a question now being posed by Te Herenga Waka academics. Law professor Nicole Moreham and biology professor Wayne Patrick have formed the University Academics Union (UAU), with a focus on academic protections and problems at universities. Why the new union? Moreham attributes it to fear of

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney The changing climate, fallout from foreign wars, and the ongoing drug crisis are just some of the reasons security has been at the forefront of any discussion between Pacific Island nations and their allies. The question of how to remain sovereign in a world where great powers seem content to throw their weight (and missiles) around to get their way is also permeating the minds of Pacific politics. Matthew Wale, who has done the round

On 5 July, National MP and Minister of Health, Energy, and State Owned Enterprises Simeon Brown posted an image of a new National billboard to his Facebook. The advertisement read “TRIPLE + YOUR + TAXES,” with the line “GO WITH LABOUR, GET THE GREENS, AND TE PĀTI MĀORI” underneath. The apparent message was that a vote for a Labour-led coalition government in this year's General Election would mean significant tax increases. All paid advertising—such as election pamphlets a

At the tail end of Trimester One, something unusual appeared in the Hub. For the first time in recent memory, a piano was placed in one of Te Herenga Waka’s busiest communal spaces. Out of thin air? Out of Te Kōkī—New Zealand School of Music? Salient investigates. In a statement attributed to Vice-Chancellor Bryony James, the University said the piano was installed “as a way to bring people together through music and create a stronger sense of community across the University.

The newly erected Student Support Hub on Level Two of the Kelburn Library has drawn criticism from students in the wake of loud construction noise during Trimester One’s assessment period. The role of the improved Student Support Hub is to provide students and staff with an accessible, visible, and welcoming integrated service desk that can assist them with general enquiries, enrolments, course changes, transcripts, and letters. New upgrades to the space include cordoned desk

Documents revealed by the Official Information Act (OIA) show the Government scrapped Fees Free without consultation with universities or student unions, and without evidence on the impact of its final-year model. Fees Free had four goals when it was announced in 2018:removing financial barriers to education, reducing learner debt, supporting life-long learning, and increasing tertiary participation. A 2024 Ministry of Education analysis found the policy only succeeded at red

It’s trimester two and your summer funds have dwindled to meagre pennies. You are feeling settled with your course load and unsettled by the increasing cost of living. It’s time to enter the workforce and join the 50% of Aotearoa students that partake in paid employment while they study. This might prove more difficult than first thought. Whether you’re re-entering the arena or it’s your first time on the hunt, you’ll notice that the market is tight. Student Job Search, a fr

The Opportunities Party (TOP) is suddenly close enough to Parliament to be taken seriously. After recently polling at 4.6%, just shy of the 5% threshold, TOP has been rebranded by some as the sensible, fresh, almost-left alternative for voters tired of the old parties. The Coalition parties have been criticising TOP as a left-wing party, citing their Citizens Income Policy as evidence. On the surface, it is easy to see why—TOP proposes paying up to $370 a week to almost eve

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney THE COCONUT CARTEL AND OUR DRUG PROBLEM If you told me that, just a few months ago, a senior member of a Pasifika-led organised crime group dubbed the ‘Coconut Cartel’ was assassinated in Vietnam by a pair of Sāmoans hired by his criminal rivals, I daresay I would have laughed in your face. But this did in fact happen, in what has become one of the strangest developments in our ongoing drug crisis in the moana we all inhabit. This ev

Josh Robinson Critics of the Fees Free scheme are right about one thing: the policy failed to significantly increase enrolments. But they ignore a crucial fact: the scheme was never intended to end after one year. In May, the Government announced plans to scrap the Fees Free scheme, which has allowed eligible tertiary students to complete one year of study without paying tuition fees since 2018. The announcement was met with strong opposition from student associations. In a