Dan Moskovitz

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 students will be hit...

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 for a vacant seat...

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 cat’s not going to...