What’s Happened to Aidan Donoghue’s Election Promises?

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 progress of several flagship commitments.

Donoghue framed his campaign around “students coming together to lower the costs we all face,” alongside a broader pledge for VUWSA to “do more, much more,” funded through university support or the VUWSA Trust.

Four specific initiatives formed the core of that platform. Their current status is outlined below.

Dedicated E-Scooter Parking

Donoghue proposed dedicated Flamingo e-scooter parking to ensure students “still have a way home” when buses stop running at night.

In an interview with Salient, Donoghue initially described VUWSA as actively involved in the project.

“We're working with Flamingo and the Property Services. At the moment, it's been worked out internally … it's just kind of trucking along, meeting after meeting, talking to other people,” he said.

However, he later indicated that VUWSA is not leading the work, instead attributing responsibility to another group.

“One of the groups already has [contacted the university], and we've jumped on to that … we've been monitoring them … watching how they're going and seeing if there's anything else we can provide,” he said, identifying the group as the Postgraduate Students’ Association (PGSA).

When asked directly about VUWSA’s role, Donoghue said, “We’re more of watching what … is already happening.”

This account is contradicted by PGSA President Andrew Tipton, who told Salient that the association is not working on e-scooter parking and had attempted to contact VUWSA without response.

“We were asked by Flamingo to help them get in touch with VUWSA as it seems that their messages were not being responded to. We reached out to VUWSA but there was no reply,” Tipton said.

Tipton added that the PGSA is “not actively pursuing e-scooter parking as a postgraduate issue.”

Donoghue’s description of VUWSA’s involvement—ranging from “working with Flamingo and the Property Services” to “monitoring” another group’s efforts—is not reflected by PGSA’s account, which indicates no ongoing collaboration and no response from VUWSA.

When Salient approached Te Herenga Waka for clarity as to who had contacted the university regarding e-scooter parking, a spokesperson said the only confirmed contact came from a VUWSA representative—specifically former President Liban Ali—who got in touch last year, a detail not mentioned by Donoghue.

No timeline or evidence of active progress in 2026 on dedicated e-scooter parking has been made public.

Clubs, Societies, and the Opportunity Shop

Donoghue campaigned on “getting back Clubs and Societies,” alongside a plan to turn the games room into an opportunity shop that would create a new long-term revenue stream.

The state of VUWSA taking over clubs was summarised last week, with clubs remaining firmly under university administration for now. However, questions remain about where the proposed opportunity shop fits within this broader plan.

In an interview, Donoghue confirmed that the proposed opportunity shop is dependent on VUWSA regaining control of club space, as the shop is intended to be located in the Club House Games Room on Level 4 of the Student Union building.

“If we want to get that space, we need to take over clubs,” he said.

When asked whether the opportunity shop could proceed independently in a different location, Donoghue said this was unlikely under current conditions.

“It’s more so I would consider it if there was another available space that we can use … at this current point of time, I'm unsure where that would be, other than pop ups,” he said.

“We want a consistent space … something that is lockable, has storage space … there is very few spaces that VUWSA actually has themselves to do so. So that's why it is kind of tied.”

When Salient approached Te Herenga Waka for clarification, a spokesperson said that VUWSA had not contacted the university or Property Services about potential spaces for an opportunity shop.

Donoghue added that the clubs proposal was designed to combine multiple functions within a single space.

“We're really trying to kill two birds with one stone with the proposal,” he said, noting that staff already employed by VUWSA could be used to support both club administration and the shop.

However, he confirmed that no detailed planning for the opportunity shop has been completed, and that it remains contingent on first securing control of clubs.

“Get clubs first,” he said. “We know the rough sort of idea … it’s more of a case of how much would we budget … which would follow, assuming, if we can get that space first.”

The proposal, as outlined, places both the return of clubs and the establishment of an opportunity shop on the same unresolved condition: access to space currently managed by UniRec.

Re-O Week

Donoghue campaigned on delivering “a massive one-day festival/carnival in Tri 2 2026 aimed at returning students.”

At the start of April, he said the proposal remained uncertain and would likely be scaled back significantly.

“So Re-O Week is on the cards … if it is approved by the exec, it would be possible, however, not to the scale I might have promised,” he said.

Donoghue cited financial concerns and wider trends in the events sector. “We've seen quite an over saturation in the market of festivals, and especially a lot of them going out of business. So whether or not that's a fiscally prudent choice is probably … leaning to more no.”

However, many of those closures predate his campaign. By mid-September 2025—when Donoghue made the promise—festivals including WOMAD, Bay Dreams, Juicy Fest, Timeless Summer Tour, and Listen In had already cancelled editions, ceased operations, or signalled uncertainty. Earlier that year, Jim Beam Homegrown also announced it would be leaving Wellington.

Donoghue is now citing those same industry conditions as a reason to scale back the proposal in 2026, despite committing to a large-scale event after they had already emerged.

Instead of a large-scale festival, Donoghue said current discussions centre on a reduced programme delivered through an external promoter.

“We're in conversations with him to see if he can do like a half O Week aimed at returning students,” he said.

“Broad strokes, [it] would roughly be … two to three nights with a comedy and a regular sort of music night event plus day events.”

Donoghue confirmed that no aspect of the proposal has been finalised.

“Essentially, nothing's been confirmed. It all needs to be approved,” he said.

He estimated a reduced budget of “roughly about $10,000” for a half-week programme, contingent on funding approval, adding that support from the VUWSA Trust “may or may not be able to [be] achieve[d].”

This proposed $10,000 budget is contingent on funding from the VUWSA Trust. When asked whether she supported drawing from the trust, VUWSA Treasurer/Secretary Sanjukta Dey said her position would depend on several factors.

“Drawing that amount from the trust isn’t something I automatically support or oppose,” she said.

“My position would depend on a few considerations, whether this is an appropriate use of a finite and often long-term fund, what the expected return on that investment is in terms of student engagement and wellbeing (and if students appreciate the idea/cause), and importantly whether the exec comes to an agreement or disagreement as a whole (after I have explained the pros and cons of the decision).”

When asked about timelines, Donoghue said feasibility was still being determined.

“My goal would be to find out whether or not it's possible from the promoter within the month [of April],” he said.

When Salient approached Te Herenga Waka for comment, a spokesperson said that VUWSA had not submitted any proposal or request to the university for a Re-O Week or similar returning-students event.

Update: At an executive meeting on 29 April—one day before this piece went to print—a revised proposal for Re-O Week was presented. The proposal, brought forward by Aidan Donoghue, outlined a lower-cost, week-long programme of daytime acoustic performances, enrolment initiatives, and themed portfolio events, scheduled initially for Week 2 of Trimester 2.

According to the proposal obtained by Salient, the programme would centre on daily acoustic sets from local bands held between 1–3 p.m. in The Hub, alongside enrolment drives tied to VUWSA’s “show up or shut up” campaign. Each day would be assigned to a different executive portfolio, with indicative plans including partnerships with university services, external organisations such as the Electoral Commission, and events such as a “Know Your Rights” workshop and a concluding pub quiz.

At the meeting, Donoghue emphasised that this proposal was provisional and open to change depending on the preferences of the executive.

The proposed timing was raised as a point of concern during the meeting, as it coincides with Pride. In response, Donoghue suggested shifting the event to “Week 4 or 5,” though no alternative date was confirmed.

When Salient checked Te Herenga Waka’s staff intranet booking portal, The Hub had already been booked for other events in Week 2 and Week 4 of Trimester Two, with only the mezzanine floor still available. Week 5 is currently available to book, meaning the earliest Re-O Week could happen would be Week 5.

The proposal estimates total costs at approximately $6000–$7000, primarily for performer fees and engagement expenses, with funding to be sought from the VUWSA Trust. It notes minimal financial risk on the basis that events would be free and not reliant on ticket revenue, while acknowledging potential reputational risk if attendance is low. In other words, that the $6000–$7000 is sunk cost.

The proposal marks another shift from earlier characterisations of Re-O Week. In an email to Salient on April 14, when the plan was in “preliminary stages,” Donoghue described it as a “personal project.”

The current proposal distributes delivery across executive portfolios, with each assigned responsibility for a day’s programming, raising some ambiguity as to whether the initiative remains a personal project or has evolved into a broader executive-led programme.

When asked who would manage the administrative workload, Donoghue said he would “take the lead on this myself for the overall administration, while also supporting each of the teams to run their day.”

During the same discussion, Equity Officer Pyper Adams said Re-O Week had been a key feature of Donoghue’s presidential campaign, adding that “we have seen significant evidence that it is already something that students want.” However, campaign materials characterised the event as a large, single-day festival, contrasting with the multi-day format now proposed.

The executive approved the revised proposal in a 10–2 vote, with Aspen Jackman (Welfare Vice President) and Sanjukta Day (Treasurer/Secretary) voting against the motion, and agreed to approach the VUWSA Trust for funding of up to $7000.

Lowering Costs for Students

Donoghue’s campaign was anchored in what he described as the “mantra of my campaign,” stating: “students coming together to lower the costs we all face.”

When asked to provide examples of how he had directly lowered costs for students, Donoghue initially pointed to the continuation and expansion of existing services.

“So by providing our services and ensuring that there is budget … being the key thing for me,” he said, referencing the VUWSA community pantry, period products, and bus passes.

He highlighted the increase in available bus passes—stating students could go from 10 to 20—as a cost-saving measure, saying this would allow students to “hopefully [save] themselves some transport costs.” However, he later acknowledged that this change had occurred during 2025 VUWSA President Liban Ali’s term.

“That was towards the end of Liban,” he said.

Similarly, he acknowledged that other initiatives he referenced—such as discounted rubbish bags for students—predated his presidency.

When pressed again on whether he had personally implemented any measures that directly reduced costs for students, Donoghue said:

“There's nothing I can say no at the moment, no, I'll be honest.”

He attributed this to the scale and complexity of his proposals.

“Everything I've done, there's been massive projects that require so much pre-work … they will not be done by halfway through Tri One,” he said.

Despite acknowledging that no direct cost reductions have been achieved, Donoghue continued to frame the continuation of existing services as fulfilling his campaign goal.

“It is the continuation of these services following that,” he said.

He further argued that lowering costs operates through a collective model, even where total expenditure increases.

“Everything, no matter what we provide … if we want to do more of something, it will cost more,” he said.

“The idea is that all students, collectively, are paying a fraction so that individual students might get something that might face a genuine lower cost.”

When asked whether any current campaigns would directly reduce costs for students, Donoghue pointed to the proposed opportunity shop—an initiative he had earlier confirmed is dependent on regaining control of club spaces.

The exchange reflects a shift from an initial campaign promise to “lower the costs we all face” to an acknowledgement that no direct reductions have yet been delivered, with that promise instead framed as the continuation of existing services and longer-term, costly proposals.

24/7 Hot Drinks Stations

Donoghue campaigned on introducing “hot drinks stations on campus 24/7 for when the cafes are closed at night or on the weekends.”

He said the proposal has been costed but is no longer being actively pursued.

“It would be roughly 10s of 1000s of dollars, and whether or not students would accept that, versus something else we'd have to give up … [is] a game of trade offs,” he said.

When pressed on a more specific figure, Donoghue revised this estimate.

“Specifically, I believe it would have been roughly about $16,000 … but I'm not super confident,” he said.

He added that the initiative is not currently financially viable and has been deprioritised.

“It’s really not as financially viable as we might have liked … there’s a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built up first,” he said.

“It is on the back burner … it is on freeze.”

Donoghue said the proposal depends on VUWSA first establishing a stronger physical presence across campuses, including staffing and space at Pipitea and Te Aro.

“We need to ensure that we have a presence on campus … [and] the funding for a staff member,” he said.

When Salient asked Te Herenga Waka whether VUWSA had contacted the university or Property Services about introducing 24/7 hot drinks stations at Pipitea, Te Aro, or Kelburn, a spokesperson said no.

In an interview, Donoghue also indicated that VUWSA may not deliver the service at all.

“In my view, it doesn't matter if VUWSA is doing it or not, as long as the service has been provided,” he said.

Donoghue repeatedly returned to this issue of expanding VUWSA’s presence across multiple campuses throughout the interview, positioning it as a prerequisite for this proposal.

Multiple VUWSA Receptions Across Campuses

While not part of Donoghue’s original platform, the proposal to expand VUWSA reception services to other campuses became a recurring focus during the interview. This shift occurred as Donoghue repeatedly moved discussion away from the stalled hot drinks initiative, instead returning to the idea of expanding VUWSA’s physical presence across campuses.

The proposal would establish VUWSA reception services at Pipitea and Te Aro campuses, operating for limited weekly hours. Donoghue described the model as a trial, with “four hours” at each campus, calling the figure “arbitrary” and “the lowest cost I could justify it being still having some effect.”

He framed the initiative as a way to improve access to existing services, particularly for students based away from Kelburn.

“VUWSA is intended to represent the views of all 20,000 of our students … we just want to provide those services as easy as possible,” he said.

While Donoghue provided limited figures during the interview, Salient obtained a copy of the “VUWSA Pipitea and Te Aro Reception Proposal” dated 2 March 2026 and addressed to Members of ACSSF (the Advisory Committee on the Student Services Fee).

The document outlines a 12-month trial beginning in Trimester One, with reception desks operating one day per week at each campus during peak hours (10am–2pm), supported by additional time for setup and administration.

According to the proposal, the service would provide: access to intercampus (Snapper) bus passes, subsidised Wellington City Council rubbish bags, and general information and referral services.

The total projected cost is approximately $32,000 for the first year, including staffing, infrastructure, and inventory. This includes around $25,820 for reception operations and $7016 for expanded rubbish bag provision.

Donoghue indicated that funding would be drawn from the existing student services fee, arguing that not all allocated funds are currently being spent.

“At the current moment … not all of the money is being spent out of that current pie,” he said.

He also confirmed that the VUWSA Trust could be used if necessary, stating this was “not off the table.”

VUWSA Treasurer/Secretary Sanjukta Dey urged caution around the use of the Trust for proposals of this scale, including both the reception expansion and the 24/7 hot drinks station.

“I would encourage the exec to approach these proposals cautiously and prioritise funding through ACSSF, or operational budgets before considering the trust. If the trust were to be used, it would need strong evidence of student demand, clear impact, and assurance that the spending aligns with the trust’s long-term purpose. Ultimately, we want to ensure we’re funding high-impact needs.”

Despite the scale of the proposal and its reliance on student funding, Donoghue confirmed that no formal consultation with students has been undertaken.

“I can only talk through anecdotally during my campaign … we haven't done some further consultation,” he said.

While Donoghue indicated limited engagement with students on the proposal, he pointed to discussions with the university staff, stating: “We have taken a proposal to the director of Kirsty,” referring to senior university staff member Kirsty McClure.

Te Herenga Waka confirmed to Salient that the proposal had been submitted to the Director of Te Pūrengi and acting Director of Tītoko, and is currently awaiting a follow-up meeting with Donoghue after consultation with the VUWSA Executive and Student Assembly. It has not yet been discussed by ACSSF.

The VUWSA Pipitea and Te Aro Reception Proposal states explicitly that “this proposal has been endorsed by Robyn Phipps the Dean of FADI and Jane Bryson the Dean of WSBG.”

However, when Salient approached Te Herenga Waka for clarification, a spokesperson said that while both Deans had “brief conversations” with VUWSA representatives and were supportive of the general idea of increased presence on these campuses, they had not been asked to provide formal endorsement for the proposal.

While Donoghue suggested that funding could be drawn from unspent student services levy funds, the university confirmed that a current surplus does exist due to recent changes in cost allocation. However, it emphasised that any expenditure is subject to student consultation processes, which are scheduled to take place at the beginning of Trimester Two for initiatives in the following year.

The university further stated that no discussion has taken place at ACSSF regarding allocating approximately $32,000 to the proposal, and no decisions have been made. It also noted that alternative approaches—such as expanding existing student services receptions—may be considered, and that further planning is required to determine whether this proposal represents the best use of student services funding.

Conclusion

Now midway through Trimester One, none of Donoghue’s four core campaign commitments have been delivered. Instead, they fall into three categories: scaled back, stalled, or unclear.

Re-O Week, one of the most prominent campaign proposals, has undergone multiple revisions. Initially framed as a large-scale, single-day festival, it is now approved in principle as a lower-cost, week-long programme of daytime events, with funding of up to $7000 to be sought from the VUWSA Trust. However, key details—including its final timing—remain unresolved following concerns raised at the executive level.

Other initiatives have seen less progress. The proposed 24/7 hot drinks stations have been placed “on freeze” due to cost considerations. Both the opportunity shop and dedicated e-scooter parking remain stalled, with progress contingent on external approvals or unclear next steps.

In several cases, it is also uncertain how far proposals have advanced beyond internal discussion. The university has stated it has not been formally approached regarding the opportunity shop, Re-O Week, or hot drinks stations, raising questions about the extent of engagement to date.

The only initiative showing more concrete development is a proposal to expand VUWSA reception services across multiple campuses. This initiative, however, was not part of Donoghue’s original campaign platform. While it has been described as having institutional support, the university clarified that staff referenced had expressed general support for increased student presence, rather than formal endorsement of the proposal itself.

Donoghue has characterised many of these initiatives as long-term projects. While there is still time within the term for further progress, the current status of his key commitments indicates a gap between initial campaign framing and implementation to date.