The Salient Unedited Session

We met the Prime Minister at his office in the Beehive — Chippy was 15 minutes late, largely due to a tray of sausage rolls being wheeled into his office (Fair enough). “Hi, I’m Chris,” the PM introduced himself, chipper if not a bit clammy, fresh from National’s tax policy announcement (and Labour’s worst polling results since 2017, dipping into the 20s). We took a seat on one of the sofas in his...

The Green Party have hit the ground running this election, being the first party to release their full suite of policies, which they say are unapologetically student focused. The Party’s policies include a free universal student allowance, reforming student accommodation, and working towards a student debt write-off.  Salient went along to Parliament to sit down with the Green Party co-leaders, Ma...

*CW: Transphobic Comments.* Winston Peters (Ngāti Wai) is a political warhorse: the 78-year-old has been in and out of Parliament since 1978 and held positions such as Treasurer, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Prime Minister. But after NZ First failed to make it back into Parliament in 2020, Peters has hitched his wagon to inflammatory culture war issues, flirting with climate change deni...

When it comes to Te Pāti Māori’s political ideology, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says it’s complicated. While the party was formerly “comfortable with National”, she says they now “lean left” in the “Western-centric sense”. But Ngarewa-Packer thinks they’re best described as simply “indigenous”. “We are an indigenous movement. [...] We are the only party that believes in Māori.” It was a hecti...

Nicola Willis says she was never “a Young Nat or anything” during her time at Victoria University of Wellington. It's been a huge turn around for the MP vying to be New Zealand’s next Finance Minister, who says she “wasn’t even into politics” while studying a BA in English Literature in the early 2000s. The National Party Deputy Leader was, however, a champion debater while studying, and admi...

It's the Wan Solwara issue of Salient! Fran and Maia are joined by Porita Fruean, this week's guest editor, to talk about the guest edited issue that celebrates the Pacific Islands and those who hail from them!  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This podcast is a Salient Podcasts Production. Produced by Alex Marinkovich-Josey

Welcome back to Salient! This week, Salient designer Bella (they/them) takes over as editor and joins the podcast to chat about this week's massive ART issue!  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This podcast is a Salient Podcasts Production. Produced by Alex Marinkovich-Josey

Karunā Muthu describes himself as a “political animal”. He's not lying; rocking up to our interview in his royal blue National Party branded jacket, he jokes that he’s going to be the Prime Minister of New Zealand. The National Candidate for Rongotai is optimistic he’s able to turn Rongotai blue, despite it being a safe Labour seat since 1996.  “I'm the underdog, and I don't mind be...

Fleur Fitzsimons is the picture-perfect Labour Party candidate—black blazer, red scarf, and all—with The Spinoff crediting her look to a Labour MP ‘laboratory’. Fitzsimons has been a Wellingtonian for 26 years, ever since she first moved to study Politics and Law at VUW. She joined the VUWSA executive, alongside the current Prime Minister, then VUWSA President, Chris Hipkins.  Fitzsimons succeeded...

It's the annual Te Ao Mārama issue!  Fran and Maia are joined by guest editor Huy to talk about this monumental issue and the production process behind prodcuing the issue in both English and te reo māori!  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This podcast is a Salient Podcasts Production. Produced by Alex Marinkovich-Josey

Paddy Gower pulled up to the Student Union building in his old, red family wagon, greeting us with a firm handshake and a chipper smile. The NZ media heavyweight kindly squeezed in an hour of his day to come along to the Salient office, the place where it all began for Gower, and chat about media, politics, and how he got to where he is. A conversation with one of the biggest news personalities in...

Welcome back to The Salient Unedited Session! Co-Editor Maia is joined by Podcast Manager Alex to discuss the INFLUENCE AND MEDIA issue of Salient! They talk about the editorial photoshoot, the week's media moments, and the fantastic articles in this week's issue!  Check it out in stands and online now! Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_...

Julie-Anne Genter regularly braves the cold for a swim in the South Coast’s marine reserve, Taputeranga. “It’s really magic,” she says. So it was an easy choice to film a campaign video there—until a whale visited Island Bay the day of their filming, disrupting their plans. Genter wasn’t disappointed. What a better sign, she thought, for a Green campaign than a whale visiting. She posted on Twitte...

Dr Scott Sheeran has lived many lives before throwing his hat in the ring for Wellington Central. He went from being “famous for not turning up at school”, and sporting dreadlocks while in a university band, to becoming a published author on human rights law and working multiple stints at the UN.  Most recently, Sheeran has been in Abu Dhabi, working as senior legal counsel to the United Arab Emir...

During his three years at Victoria University, Ibrahim Omer had a strict ritual every Friday afternoon: getting a coffee from Vic Books and a packet of sushi from MakiMono. Omer looks back at this time with fondness, and expressed immediate concern at the lack of students on campus before we even stepped foot into the Salient studio - “it's so quiet!” Originally from Eritrea, Omer arrived in...

Welcome back to Salient! This week on the Unedited Session, it's the death of academia. News-Coeditor Zoë Mills (they/she) joins the show to talk about the student action to support the university and stand against the widespread cuts.  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This podcast is a Salient Podcasts Production. Produced by Alex...

Welcome to the Unedited Session! This week at Salient, it's the Te Taiao article. Instead of doing one combined environment/climate issues, Salient splits the topic in two to discuss more about the environment beyond the impending climate crisis!  Maia is joined by Tessa, feature author of  Te Mana o Ngā Maunga, Te Mana o Ngā Kāhui. They disguss legal personhood of whenua like Maunga and Awa,...

Election season has begun! Salient is going to be bringing you the interviews with Wellington's canditades, party leaders, and beyond!  Kicking off this series of podcasts, we've got Green's candidate Tamatha Paul. Re-elected last year to Wellington City Council, the 26-year-old Green Party candidate says her time as a student, 2019 VUWSA President, and past four years on Council, a...

Welcome back to the Unedited Session! Editors Fran and Maia are joined by  Salient 's Chief Reporter Niamh to discuss her issue about ableist Immigration Policy in Aotearoa, and this fantastic issue as a whole!  Find the Health and Disability issue in stands and online now!  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This podcast is a Salient...

home-body is a podcast centred around the experience of living with chronic and invisible illnesses and disabilities. home-body is a haven for the chronically ill and disabled bodies that are consistently bound to their blankets and bedrooms. home-body is for anyone who has ever suffered in silence. It will be a channel of voices to uplift the unheard, unseen narrative of living life played at a l...

Welcome back to the Unedited Session! This week, Maia (she/her) and Fran (she/they) are joined by Goose (she/they) and Zia (he/they), who were the guest editor and sub-editor of this year's Queerlient.  They chat about the work behind this year's edition, their gay awakenings, the work of UniQ, and queer defiance in the face of opposition.  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @sa...

JOB CUTS PROPOSED AT TE HERENGA WAKA - VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON Salient Co-Editor Maia Ingoe and News Co-Editor Ethan Manera bring you this special report that outlines how the university got to this place, and what the next steps are to save staff and the tertiary sector in Aotearoa.  Thanks to Jessica Ye and Dougal McNeill for coming on to talk about the staff and student reaction to th...

It's the comedy issue!  Maia brings on comedian Kura Turuwhenua to talk all things comedy, from running comedy shows and connecting with the audience, making comedy for specific groups, and the eternal nature of the dad joke.  Make sure to check out the Comedy Issue, in stands and online now!  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This p...

Its the Diaspora episode! After a week off, this episode follows the creation of Salient's first guest-edited issue, featuring the talented guest editors Joanna and Cileme!  This issue has features that cover navigating complex identities, diving into one's past, and guides or family reunions! Available in stands now!  Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Inst...

Fran is joined by special guest and Salient designer Bella! They talk about this weeks issue all about gender. Both Fran and Bella have features in this week's issue, alongside features on Masculinity, Femininity, and Fashion.  Don't forget to pick up this week's issue, in stands now! Website: salient.org.nz Magazine Instagram: @salientgram Podcast Instagram: @salient_podcasts This...