Meet The Candidates: Prez

We Asked the VUWSA Candidates!

Ahead of the 2025 VUWSA elections, we asked the presidential candidates five key questions to help you get to know them better. Their responses to these questions offer insight into what drives them and what they hope to achieve if elected. Have a read. Get informed!

1) How do you define the role of VUWSA President, and what do you believe are its most important responsibilities?

Micah:

The VUWSA President is an organising role as much as it is a representative one. I would define it as a role that is intended to act on behalf of students in spaces where they have the privilege to be, to mobilise the student body, and to support a sense of community amongst the students at VUW. The most important responsibilities of the President are to be accountable to the students through not only democratic means, but also by virtue of being present where students are. The VUWSA President is typically more politically inclined than the average VUW student, and as such, I believe they have a responsibility to nurture the civic skills of students at VUW so that they, too, may engage in the political environment. The most important responsibility of the President is to act for students, not for their own personal political career ambitions.

Mia: 

I see the role as being a voice for students. The role is based around leadership, advocacy, and accountability. Setting the direction for the executive team to ensure that student issues are heard and that VUWSA is able to deliver meaningful change. It’s important to be able to balance the ‘big picture’ ideas with day to day problem solving, whether that’s pushing for systematic improvements like free public transport, fair student income, or ensuring clubs, campaigns, and welfare services can run smoothly. Transparency and accessibility are key. Students need to know what is being done, and how they can be involved in decisions that will affect them and their experience at university. 

Liam:

President to me means no more[than]to be the representative, being the president as a student does not mean I am superior, nothing separates me and you, we are both under the same institution, and studying merely to achieve our degrees. As a representative, it is the responsibility to amplify student concerns, be willing to stand out from the crowd, and face what is wrong, addressing issues that negatively impact students. Although it is not all just about voicing the problems, it is about keeping an eye out and building the student community. Act in the best interest of all students with every action/

Aidan:

The role of president is to be the hub of a wheel while the VP’s and officers are the spokes that reach out to the wider student cohort. The president’s job is not to lead from the front or back, but rather from within, which takes a strong sense of knowing when to take a step back to let others work but also knowing when to be involved and redirect someone’s energy.  Not every decision can be made by committee so ultimately a confident leader is needed to make those final calls. Responsibility starts with the president and flows down, while liabilities flow up and stop with the president. Being just a figurehead or a spokesperson will not be enough, you need to be equal parts manager, coach, and friend.

Josh:

The job of the VUWSA President is to be the paramount critic and conscience of society, the university, and the realities of student life more broadly. In doing so, it is the job of the President to be a transparent, and effective leader that can lead the executive in a cohesive manner that delivers real outcomes for students. Its most important responsibilities include; 

• Being the spokesperson for VUWSA, and by extension all students at Te Herenga Waka. 

• Holding the university and government to account on behalf of all students. 

• Unreservedly fighting for changes to systems of oppression that result in inequitable outcomes for tauira. 

• Upholding the association's obligations under Te Tiriti, including the recognition of the rangatiratanga of Ngāi Tauira. 

2) What motivated you to run for VUWSA President, and what personal experiences or values inform your candidacy?

Micah:

I’m motivated to run for VUWSA President for several reasons. The first being that the upcoming 2026 general election presents a real opportunity to agitate for change, and I firmly believe that a well-organised student movement can achieve significant victories when we apply the right pressure on political bodies. I’m also running because I believe the current tactics have failed. Every year, a new President comes through the rotating door promising to fight for students, but these promises amount to little more than open letters and unsuccessful protests. We need to reject the “advocacy” model used by VUWSA currently and embrace the student-led organising that won us first-year fees-free and interest-free loans. My experiences as a union delegate, as a coordinator for WSVA during COVID, as a climate activist, a student activist, and my experience in political organising have influenced my core belief: There is power in unity.

Mia: 

My motivation to run comes from a commitment to improving the student experience and addressing systemic barriers to student success. My experience as Campaigns Officer this year, as well as my external experience with youth advocacy, has equipped me with the skills to advocate effectively for students, particularly on issues such as more engaging events, better support for first-year students, and the rising cost of living for students. Having navigated balancing study, work, and social life, I understand the pressures students face and am committed to creating a campus environment where all students can succeed.

Liam:

I struggle to find and pinpoint the exact motivations for my decisions to run for this role. Funnily enough, I think about this very often. Honestly, I think it came from being really, really happy about a good grade that I felt I could become the president, and it just stuck with me. At the time, I was consistently spending late nights in the library making the most of its opportunities/resources that are provided from the university, and the idea just grew and grew into something much more. I started critiquing the university from observance, and how I would do better if I were in charge. When I noticed student problems in Wellington are greater than just increasing prices, and the wind with the rise of AI and online resources being available, the community at vic has been deteriorating, which I do not like very much.

Aidan:

VUWSA stands at a crossroads: we can either continue with our head tucked in as if COVID is still around, or, we shed our skin and reform the organisation into a new and confident student union. If my experience as engagement VP this year has taught me one thing, it is that the demand from students for a student union that’s more prevalent on campus, eases the cost of living and takes great strides to build community is desperately wanted and frankly needed. Anyone who’s been around for some time could tell you that we are finally bouncing back from COVID; with more students on campus and more engagement than I’ve seen in 4 years of attending vic. It’s simply time to capitalise on this return to form and bring back the things that make studying here great!

Josh:

Since I joined VUWSA two years ago, my kaupapa has been informed by my lived experience in child poverty, and the worsening realities of student hardship as a takatāpui rangatahi. My mission thus far has been to ensure that the same struggles that I once had to endure, would never be faced by any rangatahi ever again. It is for this reason I have helped run countless events and initiatives over my tenure that have delivered support for students in need. 

This mission is far from done. The sentiment that powered me through all those years of hardship is the same that now motivates me to run for President; the chance for real and lasting change. In the face of the cost of living crisis, unfair renting laws, climate change, and worsening student poverty, I am dedicated to get the voice of students across the line. 

3) What are the key promises of your campaign? Can you provide any supporting data, anecdotes, or budget considerations to demonstrate feasibility?

Micah:

The key promises of my campaign are to return VUWSA to a model that organises students rather than simply advocating on their behalf, to create a student-led election 2026 manifesto, and to lead a campaign to restore financial independence to student unions. After VSM in 2011, VUWSA lost over 68% of its funding and became financially reliant on VUW, severely limiting the association’s ability to organise effectively. If elected, I will lobby and mobilise for legislative change, similar to reforms in Australia, to secure independent funding for student unions. My goal is not to be a silver bullet for student poverty, but to build a student union that empowers the student body to organise, campaign, and win- regardless of who holds the Presidency in the future.

Mia:

My overall campaign focuses on three key promises: restoring a Women’s Safe Space on campus, working to achieve fair student income, and improving support for students outside of halls. A Women’s Space previously existed at VUW and operates successfully at UOA, showing that this is both practical and impactful. Re-establishing this would require a secure, accessible room and basic furnishings. Fair student income is urgent: Student Allowance numbers have fallen 40% since 2013, whilst rent consumes over 50% of students’ weekly income on average. Simply put, students are not getting enough from Studylink to match the rising costs, and that needs to change. First-year students living away from halls face isolation and miss out on support services. Working on expanding the services offered through the ‘Wellington Hall’ program is essential. This looks like regular social and academic meetups, peer mentoring, and tailored city orientation.

Liam:

My primary focus is to improve campus attendance and significantly improve day-to-day life for students, and create new environments where students have much easier facilities to connect with each-other. The ice between students in the lecture environment blocks connecting with one another. An implication of this is seen with the fate of the Commerce Ball this year, being cancelled due to a lack of tickets being purchased. This is solely attributable to the lack of community sense within commerce. I would also advocate for the reinvention of the “student night”, partnering up with more local businesses to provide students with deals not only to encourage social behavior but as a way for cheap activities which don’t only involve drinking, making student night into student day with deals accessible directly from campus, encouraging engagement with university resources.

Aidan:

I have some big promises, but the mantra of my campaign is students coming together to lower the costs we all face. I want VUWSA to do more, much more and therefore it will be more in fixed costs to set things up and that money will either need to come from the university (i.e. you) or the VUWSA trust, but you will see a return on investment that directly benefits you.

The key things are:

• Re-O Week, a massive one-day festival/carnival in Tri 2 2026 aimed at returning students.

• Getting back Clubs and Societies, turning the games room into an Opportunity shop bringing in a new revenue stream in the long run.

• Hot drinks stations on campus 24/7 for when the cafes are closed at night or on the weekends.

• Dedicated E-Scooter (Flamingo) Parking, so when the buses stop at night you still have a way home.

  
  

Josh:

As VUWSA President I will be committed to the establishment of more support services such as The Bubble at Pipitea and Te Aro Campus. For far too long these campuses have been neglected when it comes to support services that provide for a holistic approach when it comes to student hauora. Funding for these initiatives is in-line with increases made to funding through the Student Services Levy in 2025.  I am also committed to the furthering of current initiatives such VUWSA After-Dark, which provide safe and accessible gigs for students as well as promote student artists.  Such initiatives can only be funded temporarily through the VUWSA Trust, as the Trust is a limited fund pool. Thus, I am committed to introducing new revenue ventures such as merchandise and brand deals that can provide for more tenable funding for this initiative, and future initiatives like it. 

4) Hypothetically, if you could bring one food outlet to campus, what would it be and why?

Micah: 

I’m not a big fan of outlet stores on campus run by multinational corporations. However, I would be in support of establishing more student-run and owned cafes on campus and using the SSF to subsidise them so that students can enjoy affordable, student-owned, local food and beverages. As well as providing employment opportunities for students at VUW to work there

Mia: 

I would like to establish a student-run cooperative café that would provide affordable meals at cost price. Many students experience food insecurity, and the availability of healthy, low-cost options would support overall well-being and academic success. A cooperative model would also create opportunities for student involvement, fostering leadership, teamwork, and business/work experience. It could also align with sustainability goals through local sourcing and minimising waste. 

Liam:

For selfish reasons, I gotta say One Sushi, my friends and I visit One Sushi regularly during the week after finishing at uni for the day and eat a big bowl of katsu chicken. I know this wouldn’t make the most sense with a sushi shop already being open at Kelburn, but it would make my day a lot better, being able to walk <500 steps from the library to get a katsu bowl would be very nice.

Aidan:

I want you to imagine your favourite bakery/dairy/ school canteen. Got it pictured? Now imagine that on campus. If given the chance that’s exactly what I’d want. We need the cheap, quick and ready to eat small goods that every student would enjoy. No waiting in line, just pick out your favourites, go up to the counter and you’re sorted.

Josh: 

I would bring Everybody Eats! Everybody Eats is a charitable outlet that cooks captured food waste into quality meals that are charged on a pay-what-you-can model. They are a great tool in the fight against food waste and food insecurity, whilst providing nutritious food for those in need. Having Everybody Eats on campus would ensure no student would go hungry, whilst ensuring a high standard for sustainability and providing countless volunteering opportunities for students. 

5) Do you believe the New Zealand Government should take stronger action against Israel’s occupation of Palestine? Why or why not?

Micah: 

Yes. Israel’s occupation of Palestine is not only illegal, but it is also a genocidal and humanitarian crisis. The lack of sanctions from the Government is nothing less than abetting the massacre that is occurring. The New Zealand Government must not only recognise the state of Palestine, but it must use all the tools it has available to stop the genocide and facilitate the return of Palestinian land and sovereignty. As a country founded on indigenous partnership and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it is disgusting that more has not been done.

Mia:

Yes. Aotearoa needs to stop its complicity in genocide and settler colonialism. What is happening in Palestine is not just an ‘occupation’, it’s ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and systematic dehumanisation. We should be cutting diplomatic ties and imposing sanctions immediately. If we could oppose apartheid in South Africa, why are we silent now? Students have always been at the forefront of the liberation movement, and we will stand with Palestine until it’s free. This is not a foreign issue; it is a matter of humanity, and our government’s cowardice is shameful. Solidarity means action, not just statements.

Liam:

Growing up in New Zealand has strongly influenced my beliefs on war; I don’t like it, and disputes that result in large-scale violence and terror for the masses are appalling. It is in New Zealand’s interest to support Palestine in a passive way; acting with further violence would only cause greater damage and is against New Zealand’s principles. Support within care-packages/helping with refuge for Palestinians would be a necessary response, while not calling for further violence with any act of attack.

Aidan: 

From the first weeks of Israel’s so called retaliatory actions following Oct 7, if this country had a spine, we would’ve expelled all Israeli diplomats, cut all trade and been one of the first nations actively calling what we’re seeing by its name: GENOCIDE. There's so much more I can say than in just 150 words, but the fact that none of these things have happened after nearly two years makes me sick to my stomach. Killing thousands before their first birthday, bombing schools and hospitals, desecrating our war dead, and then after that having the gall to cry antisemitism is an utter disgrace. Meanwhile our country which used to have the guts to stand out against the international community has sat and twiddled its thumbs and waited for someone else to step forward first. It’s pathetic, it's abhorrent, it cannot be allowed to continue or ever happen again.

Josh:

The New Zealand government must enact comprehensive sanctions against Israel and stand up against its supporting counterparts. It is embarrassing for all people who call Aotearoa home that their government isn't stating their position when it comes to genocide. The same can be said for Victoria University of Wellington. As VUWSA President I will tautoko the incredible mahi of Student Justice for Palestine and call for a comprehensive divestment from Israel by Victoria University of Wellington. The university's catch-phrase is “capital thinking, globally minded”. It's time it started acting like it.