Andrew Little claims Hamilton West Labour candidate was ambushed, not the ambusher

Georgie Dansey is the Labour Party's candidate for the Hamilton West byelection later this year. Photo / Supplied

Cabinet Minister Andrew Little has hit back at claims Labour’s Hamilton West byelection candidate ambushed him at a protest today, and instead says the prospective MP was misled.

The Health Minister was announcing a spending package aimed at improving students’ mental health at the University of Waikato today when he became the target of a protest by Tertiary Education Union (TEU) members.

Standing among protestors was Labour’s newest candidate Georgie Dansey, who was yesterday announced as the party’s person to contest the Hamilton West byelection after the resignation from Parliament of former Labour MP Gaurav Sharma.

Dansey is the chief executive of the Independent Schools Education Association and owns Body Fit Training in Te Awamutu.

But Little told the Herald tonight that Dansey wasn’t there to protest him and had been told by the TEU that Little was going to speak in support of the protest.

“They misled her,” Little said. “When she realised what was happening she left.”

In a post to Facebook to tonight, Dansey defended herself and said she was at the protest as an education sector representative.

Health Minister Andrew Little hit back at claims that his party’s recently-announced candidate ambushed him at a protest. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“I wasn’t there to protest the Minister and when it became clear the Minister was being ambushed I left,” Dansey wrote.

Earlier today, the National Party poked fun at the incident.

Campaign chair Chris Bishop said he “welcomed Labour’s Hamilton West by-election candidate to the growing movement opposing the Labour Government”.

“While it’s strange to see reports Georgie Dansey attended a protest against the Labour Party so soon after being selected as its candidate in the by-election, National is thrilled to have her support in opposing the Government,” Bishop said.

Dansey will be competing in the byelection against Sharma, who triggered the by-election after he resigned two weeks ago following his expulsion as a member of Labour.

Sharma was initially expelled from the party’s caucus after making a series of allegations against fellow Labour MPs, including the Prime Minister, which he often published in lengthy social media posts and did so first in a column published in the Herald.

Dansey referenced the “drama” Sharma caused in a statement about her priorities from the Hamilton community and said it’s “time to move on”.

“No one has benefited from the recent drama with the outgoing MP,” she said

“It’s time to move on and get back to focusing on the real issues Hamiltonians face ... I look forward to talking with people across Hamilton West about how we can build on the Government’s strong local achievements so far, and make our community even stronger into the future.”

Dansey’s selection comes after National revealed its three-person candidate shortlist, which includes One of Iwi head Tama Potaka, health manager Frances Hughes and Pasifika business director Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau.

National’s final selection will take place this weekend.

The Act Party’s board has decided the party will contest the byelection and should confirm its candidate later this week.

Last week, The Opportunities Party announced it would also enter the race, choosing candidate Naomi Pocock.

The Green Party’s Hamilton members and executive team agreed not to enter a candidate. NZ First also today announced it would not be putting forth a candidate.

The byelection will be held on December 10.