After two long, politics-free years, Politics Week is finally making its return – and honestly, it couldn’t come at a better time. This year, Ōtepoti students are getting front-row seats to one of the most underrated shows in town: local body elections. That’s right, the people who decide on everything from your bus timetable to whether your flat has to meet basic living standards are hitting the stage, and you get to grill them.
We’re hosting forums where candidates will be facing student questions, awkward silences, and hopefully the occasional “so what are you actually going to do about it?” Politics might feel distant when you’re buried under readings and trying to make rent, but here’s the kicker: around 90% of what affects your daily life is decided by your local council. Ninety percent. That’s the difference between flooding in South D and actually having climate resilience, between an affordable flat and one that makes you sick.
Politics Week isn’t about boring lectures or empty promises – it’s about putting faces to names, asking the questions that matter, and making sure students don’t get forgotten in the shuffle of “ratepayers” and “stakeholders.” It’s about proving that we’re more than just foot traffic in the Octagon or noise complaints in North D.
So come along. Sit in the back and heckle if that’s your vibe, or front row with a burning question if you’re feeling bold. Either way, show up. Because when students turn out, we remind the city that we’re not just passing through – we’re shaping Ōtepoti’s future. And that future starts with you, your vote, and maybe even your one-liner at a candidate forum.
Jett Groshinski
OUSA Political Representative