Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

VUWSA welcomes election of student-friendly candidates

10 October 2016


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


VUWSA welcomes election of student-friendly candidates


The Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) welcomes the election of student-friendly candidates to Wellington City Council and the Greater Wellington Regional Council.


The majority of candidates (eight of the 13) elected to Wellington City Council signed VUWSA’s pledge for a compulsory rental warrant of fitness by 2019.


Six out of the 13 candidates elected to the Greater Wellington Regional signed VUWSA’s pledge for a 50 percent tertiary discount on public transport be included in Wellington’s 2017/18 Annual Plan.


‘We still have a bit more work to do before fairer fares and rental warrant of fitness become a reality,’ says VUWSA President Jonathan Gee.


‘The plan now is to target candidates who have not yet signed our pledge for fairer fares so that we can get it over the line. We’re just one short of a majority on the Regional Council, so we’re particularly keen to focus on Lower Hutt and Wairarapa where there are newly-elected councillors who have not yet signed our pledge.


‘A number of students live out in Lower Hutt and Wairarapa, so we want to tell these councillors that fairer fares will do a world of difference in enabling their student-constituents to succeed academically.’

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.


Gee also congratulated Justin Lester on his mayoral win.


‘Justin is a strong student-friendly candidate. He has signed our pledge for a rental warrant of fitness, and plans to bring a local bill to Parliament to get it over the line. We look forward to working with him to progress this.’


VUWSA worked tirelessly to encourage strong student turnout in the elections, enrolling almost 600 students. ‘The postal voting system presented a massive hurdle do to the transient nature of the student population, but we are glad our efforts contributed to an overall increase in turnout in Wellington,’ says VUWSA Welfare Vice President Rory Lenihan-Ikin.


‘We wanted to make the student-friendly Wellington campaign as easy for students as possible. One of the issues that keep students from voting, is not knowing who to vote for.’


‘That’s why we contacted all candidates and asked them if they’d pledge to our student friendly policies. We also created the www.studentfriendlywellington.nz website, and are constantly updating who’s pledged for what – making it easier for students to know who to vote for.’


We are pleased with voter-turnout, and hope the efforts we made helped encourage people to vote.’


ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.