Danielle van Dalen
About Danielle van Dalen
Most Recent Activity
End of Life Choice Bill contains flaws that are impossible to fix
By Alex Penk
This column was published in Fairfax newspapers on Wednesday 20 June 2018 and on stuff.co.nz Parliament has started hearing submissions…
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Beware the consequences of the waka-jumping bill
By Danielle van Dalen
Like many, my first introduction to politics was through a class election. My group decided our key campaign promise was…
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Algorithms no substitute for people
By Danielle van Dalen
The cracks are starting to show on the fancy computer algorithms we rely so heavily upon these days. The recent…
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Changing the way we educate
By Danielle van Dalen
Nelson Mandela is credited with saying: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” It…
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The too hard basket: Breaking the link between disability and poverty
By Danielle van Dalen
Less than half of New Zealanders with disabilities are in paid employment. New research from the Maxim Institute suggests employers…
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We deserve the whole story on euthanasia laws
By Danielle van Dalen
Like New Zealand, some of our neighbours across the ditch have recently been debating whether to legalise euthanasia and assisted…
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Discussion Paper | Acknowledging Ability
By Danielle van Dalen
People who are living with a disability are vastly overrepresented in New Zealand’s poverty figures, and 74 percent of those…
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Using policy to fix things – why gun control isn’t as simple as we’d like
By Danielle van Dalen
The best way to reduce gun violence is through stricter gun control policies, right? Well, perhaps, but not necessarily. A…
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And now, civility
By Danielle van Dalen
Kiwi kids know that good sportsmanship in team sports looks like healthy competition followed by the competing teams shaking hands…
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Our politicians must learn what actually makes a difference in education
By Danielle van Dalen
I can clearly remember my favourite teacher. He was a jovial and portly history teacher, who would get incredibly excited…
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Supporting the village raising our children
By Danielle van Dalen
An African proverb claims that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit Policy seems an…
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Youth UBI fails to focus on real need
By Danielle van Dalen
Only a few years ago I would have been eligible for the $200 a week Gareth Morgan’s party just announced…
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The illusion of certainty in the End of Life Choices Bill
By Danielle van Dalen
David Seymour is convinced his End of Life Choices Bill, drawn from the Private Member’s Ballot last Thursday, would be…
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Creating opportunities to contribute
By Danielle van Dalen
Last week New Zealander Robert Martin took up his position in Geneva as Spokesperson for Disabled People on the United…
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Valuing access to work
By Danielle van Dalen
Unemployment is costly. It costs the unemployed person and it costs society. For plenty of people with disabilities this cost…
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Removing the barriers
By Danielle van Dalen
I was 12 when my grandfather lost his eye and was declared officially blind. In the following months and years…
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Working hard, still struggling
By Danielle van Dalen
In New Zealand’s poverty debate, work is often touted as the silver bullet solution, the one thing that will solve…
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Seeing the person, not the problem
By Danielle van Dalen
Politics and policies can change lives. However, policy is just an idea until people do something to enact it. For…
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“Trust me” – politics can be better
By Danielle van Dalen
With one political event after another falling victim to anti-establishment sentiments, I have to ask, is New Zealand next? A…
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Unrealistic safeguards
By Danielle van Dalen
“Safeguards.” It’s an official-sounding and soothing term often used by those in favour of euthanasia, to ease concerns about the…
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