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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

Saad Aamir Fees Free was a policy that covered the first year of tertiary study, providing up to $12,000 in tuition payments per student at a cost of roughly $350 million a year to the taxpayer. It was presented as a policy that would improve equity and open the doors of higher learning for disadvantaged people. In 2024, the National-led coalition shifted the policy from the first year of study to the last. Then, on 8 May 2026, Winston Peters and Nicola Willis announced that

The weather’s cooling down, and with only a week left until winter officially ramps up that wind chill factor, it’s high time to hunker down. If you hail from the South of Aotearoa, you might be well versed in the practice of rolling your eyes at shivering JAFA’s and lending your jacket to those of us with more subtropical customs. But even for you cold-hearted highlanders and scarfies, the first winter after living in a warm family home or heated hall can be rough, especiall

Antonio Cadavid Member of the Wellington Community Justice Project, a student-led charity at Te Herenga Waka’s Law School When the Government speaks about asylum seekers, language of risk increasingly dominates the conversation. New Zealand migration policy relating to refugees appears to be shifting away from humanitarian protection and toward a risk-based approach, one that makes already vulnerable people even more vulnerable. Rather than treating asylum seekers as indivi

CW: Sexual assault, Homophobia An Anonymous Hater The Establishment. MishMosh. Red Square. For years, these were the bars students either avoided on a night out, or only ended up at once they were too pissed to care. But with Red Square set to close its doors, a serious question now hangs over Wellington’s student nightlife: where will students go when they want to party without any standards? On May 10, Red Square announced on Facebook that it would be closing after 23 years

Across much of the democratic world, a familiar pattern has emerged across various elections: young men, once part of the left’s natural base, are shifting right. In the UK and Germany, young men have been twice as likely than young women to support right-wing populist parties such as Reform and AfD. South Korean conservative parties hold a 30% advantage among young male voters. The same holds true across much of the rest of Europe and Canada, though curiously not Australia.

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney As these twelve weeks near their end, there is still no shortage of things going on in our sea of islands. So let's hop from island to island and round up some of the interesting and important stories going on in the moana as this trimester comes to a close. The Solomon Islands have been in and out of the news for a while thanks to the ongoing leadership crisis, where Prime Minister Jerimiah Manele was voted out of his seat due in pa

Just last week, Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced her split from Te Pāti Māori and subsequently the creation of a new political party, named after her electorate. Speaking to RNZ she said, “This is about restoring balance, strong local representation, and sending a clear signal that Tai Tokerau political power will no longer be taken for granted.” She said she hoped other candidates would do the same to “promote truly local decision-making and restore power to

For the past couple of months, I have been on a personal crusade. No, not to get the window fixed in the Salient office (but it was nice that that happened). No, not to victimise VUWSA with overly researched and pedantic hit pieces (but that scratched an itch in my brain I haven’t felt since my last Salient survey). No, my crusade has arguably benefitted students much less: to bring back Bacon Buttys at the Hunter Lounge. Picture this: two thick, crispy slabs of sourdough bre

It was a dramatic afternoon in the offices of the student magazine Salient, as staff gathered for the final news meeting of the trimester. What was expected to be a routine wrap-up quickly turned tense after senior news writer Ryan Cleland announced his departure from the publication following an alleged disagreement with co-worker Martha Schenk. According to several students present at the meeting, discussions became increasingly heated while the news team debated coverage p

For years, researchers at Te Herenga Waka, wanting to study depression in rats, could dunk them in a tank of water and watch how long they struggled before giving up. The Porsolt Swim Test (PST)—also called the forced swim test—was a standard tool in preclinical drug research for decades. Now, the University has made its position explicit: it won't approve the procedure anymore. VUW’s Animal Ethics Committee updated its website to formally reflect what had already become prac

The government has moved to scrap final year fees-free, resulting in up to $12,000 of extra costs for future and current students. When announced by Labour in 2018 (then as first year fees-free), the policy had four major goals: to reduce financial barriers to education, support life-long learning, reduce learner debt, and increase participation. A 2024 Ministry of Education analysis found that out of the four goals, the policy had only reduced learner debt and recommended s

The cybersecurity breach of online learning platform Nuku has caused alarm for students and staff alike, calling Te Herenga Waka’s reliance on digitised learning into question. Reports indicate that Instructure, the company that owns Canvas, and the software on which Nuku runs, were made aware of a “cybersecurity incident perpetrated by a criminal threat actor” on 1 May 2026, that was “contained” by the following day. On Wednesday 6 May, the University informed students and s

VUWSA has decided to request $7000 from the VUWSA Trust to fund Re-O Week: a three-day, glorified party scheduled for the second week of Trimester Two. The request alone is concerning. Why would VUWSA consider a party to be a reasonable use of Trust money? Just weeks ago, students were left homeless after flooding damaged their flat. Across the University, demand for the community pantry has increased by 400% since 2024, as reported by Salient. It remains unclear whet

Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney GOING BAND FOR BAND ON IMMIGRATION POLICY 26 votes to 22 have decided the fate of Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Jerimiah Manele. The vote of no-confidence for his leadership finally took place on May 7, the third time the parliament of the Solomons had attempted to push him out in this manner. Former foreign minister Peter Shanel Agovaka—who crossed the bench to help take out Manele—threw out allegations that Manele was facilitatin

The newest addition to Aro Valley’s village strip is Octo, a record store, café, Yakatori restaurant, and listening bar all rolled into one. Opened to the public on May 1, it has already gained support and what’s shaping up to be regular return customers in its first week. “Cool set-up is going to absolutely hum,” one five-star reviewer wrote. “Will be back,” and “would eat again,” said two others. The unique concept of a “listening bar” originated in 1950s Japan as a tear

The People’s Republic of China is a state that splits the opinions of the world. Some see it as a repressive, authoritarian dictatorship, while others see it as the only sane alternative to the global influence of the West. Chinese people have been a part of our Pacific community since at least the mid 19th century, and since then China has seen an insane level of change in the form of civil war, revolution, and eventually the transformation into one of the world's premier gl

For years, researchers at Te Herenga Waka, wanting to study depression in rats, could dunk them in a tank of water and watch how long they struggled before giving up. The Porsolt Swim Test (PST)—also called the forced swim test—was a standard tool in preclinical drug research for decades. Now, the University has made its position explicit: it won't approve the procedure anymore. VUW’s Animal Ethics Committee updated its website to formally reflect what had already become prac

CW: Sexual Violence, Strangulation, Death Rough sex and sexual strangulation are becoming more and more common among students. An understanding of the risks involved, which can include headaches, pain, memory gaps, unconsciousness, or even death, is not. In the US and Australia, just under 60% of undergraduates have experienced sexual strangulation. While statistics from Aotearoa aren’t available, a report commissioned by ACC found sexual assault services were seeing admissio

“Tikanga doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s not something that’s been foisted on people because of a particular stripe of government.” That is how Māmari Stephens describes tikanga Māori’s place in legal education. Tikanga refers to Māori law, values, principles, and practices, and courts have increasingly recognised tikanga as part of Aotearoa’s legal system. At Te Herenga Waka, the Faculty of Law is now expanding the teaching of tikanga Māori across its Bachelor of Laws (L

Finleigh Frost The Government’s decision to lift the cap on course fee increases from 2.85% to a hefty 6% has left many students stunned. At a time when young people face high unemployment, a shrinking pool of part-time jobs, and bleak post-graduation prospects, doubling the allowable fee hike feels not just out of touch but fundamentally unfair. Yet beyond the immediate financial hit, there’s a deeper structural problem that feels increasingly difficult to ignore for those a

Hosting a good party in Wellington has become synonymous with a visit from noise control, and a noise direction notice pressed into the hands of the residence's most sober soldier. Particularly tasteful flats might hang these trophies on the wall as certificates of merit, the controversial décor perhaps even autographed by an aspirational DJ or two. The enforcement officers usually move in pairs for increased authority, often materialising in your living room or marching int

A look at four key commitments from the VUWSA President. This is part two of a three-part series examining VUWSA, with this instalment focusing on presidential promises. In his 2025 interview with Salient ahead of the VUWSA presidential election, Aidan Donoghue campaigned on a platform of expanded services and increased student support, promising that higher upfront costs would deliver long-term benefits. Now in the second half of Trimester One, this piece examines the progre

The first action of Mayor Andrew Little was to put a pause on the Golden Mile, given the project’s $80 million cost blowout. Six months on, whether the progressive policy will ever materialize is anyone’s guess. The Golden Mile is a proposed refurbishment of the corridor connecting Courtney Place and Lambton Quay. Despite initially being proposed in 2016, it has spent pretty much all that time in development hell, with constant delays preventing anything from happening. The

A blunt new campaign is telling Kiwi men something we’ve long avoided hearing: check your balls. Launched during Testicular Cancer awareness month, the “Lump Lottery” campaign is pushing young men to take their health seriously…with the unusual incentive of winning a brand new ute. Despite being one of the most treatable cancers, with a survival rate of 95-96% when caught early, Testicular cancer remains the most common cancer in men under 40 in Aotearoa. And many young men—