Kia ora peeps,
It’s your 2026 President here. Thanks to everyone who voted in the OUSA elections. We had our best voter turnout in five years, so a huge thank you to all that turned out.
Congratulations to all the candidates that ran for the Executive. The campaigns were competitive and creative, making this election one of the most exciting in recent times (biased, ofc).
Throughout the campaign, I was constantly reminded of the issues that Otago students are facing. Cost of living, the state of flats in North Dunedin, and the need for student bars. I’m not going to pretend I can fix these huge issues overnight, but I promise that I will push hard and do my best to improve student life at Otago.
While I only won by a razor thin 52.5% majority, I will be representing all 20,000 tauira, whether you voted for me, someone else, or if you didn’t vote at all.
Your 2026 Executive is ready to get stuck in and work for you. If you have an issue or idea, flick me an email at finance@ousa.org.nz this year, or next year hit me up at president@ousa.org.nz.
I can’t wait to get underway. 2026 is going to be big. Let's make it count.
Daniel Leamy
OUSA President-Elect