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Wikipedia:WikiProject New Zealand/politics/New MPs/Georgie Dansey

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Georgie Dansey
Dansey in 2020
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour Party List
Assumed office
2024
Personal details
Born
Georgina Michaela Celestine Dansey

1986 (age 37–38)
Political partyLabour
Other political
affiliations
Greens
SpouseRuby
RelationsHarry Dansey (great-uncle)
Children2
ProfessionFitness trainer

Georgina Michaela Celestine Dansey (born 1986) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.

Early life and career

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Dansey identifies with Ngāti Tūwharetoa. After leaving university she became an early childhood teacher later becoming involved as a trade unionist.[1] She is chief executive of the Independent Schools Education Association and owns her own business, Body Fit Training, in Te Awamutu.[2]

Political career

[edit]
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2024–present 54th List 31 Labour

After attending a women's event at a local hairdresser she joined the Labour Party and was an active campaign volunteer for six years before joining with the Greens to campaign for Chlöe Swarbrick at the 2017 election. She then rejoined Labour ahead of the 2020 election, earning her the nickname of being a "watermelon".[1] Dansey became chair of Labour's Hamilton East electorate committee and lost the Labour selection for Hamilton West to Gaurav Sharma in 2020 in a close vote.[3] She proceeded to become a List-only candidate at the 2020 election, and was placed last on Labour's party list.[2]

On 1 November 2022, Dansey was announced as Labour's candidate for Hamilton West at the 2022 Hamilton West by-election after the resignation of Gaurav Sharma.[2] The very next day Dansey was seen as present at an ambush protest directed at Labour Party cabinet minister Andrew Little. The protest was held by members of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) regarding pay restraint. Dansey stated she was "there in my capacity as an education sector union rep".[4] In a subsequent Facebook post on 2 November 2022, Dansey denied being part of the ambush protest, saying "I was at the uni today in my capacity as an education sector union rep. I wasn't there to protest the Minister and when it became clear the Minister was being ambushed, I left".[5] She lost the by-election to National's Tama Potaka. On election night she conceded defeat and also stated she would stand in the seat again at the 2023 election.[6]

Despite stating she would contest Hamilton West again, her candidacy for neighbouring Hamilton East was announced on 2 April 2023.[7] She was given the relatively high placing on the Labour party list of 31, the highest for a non sitting MP and higher still than many other sitting MPs.[8] She was unsuccessful in winning the seat and was not high enough on the party list to be allocated a seat. After the election, she was elected by members to the Labour Party's policy council. In campaign material for that election, she pitched her candidacy on focusing policy on the cost of living.[9]

Personal life and family

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Dansey and her partner, Ruby, have two children. Her great-uncle, Harry Dansey, was an Auckland City Councillor and New Zealand's race relations commissioner. On her mother's side, an ancestor of her was William Heaton-Armstrong, an MP in Britain for Sudbury from 1906 to 1910.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Dansey, Georgie (5 June 2020). "Last on the list: Giving the Labour Party a lift from 84th place". The Spinoff. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Labour selects Georgie Dansey to run in Hamilton West by-election". Stuff. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  3. ^ Trevett, Claire (24 October 2022). "Hamilton West byelection: Who's lining up for National and Labour – and will it answer National's diversity problem?". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  4. ^ Franke-Bowell, Jonah (2 November 2022). "Labour Hamilton West candidate seen at ambush protest against own minister". Stuff. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Labour Hamilton West by-election candidate Georgie Dansey denies protesting Labour minister Andrew Little day after selection". Newshub. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  6. ^ Pearse, Adam (11 December 2022). "Hamilton West byelection: National's Tama Potaka wins, seat flip a blow for Government". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  7. ^ Franke-Bowell, Jonah (2 April 2023). "Georgie Dansey selected as Labour candidate for Hamilton East". Stuff. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Labour Announces Party List For 2023 Election". Scoop. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Michael Wood among familiar faces to win Labour election, as party mulls tax discussion". NZ Herald. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.