Hamilton West byelection: Labour candidate Georgie Dansey’s door-knocking mishap

Labour candidate Georgie Dansey has dislocated her shoulder while campaigning for the Hamilton West byelection, which concludes this weekend.

However, the union leader and Hamilton business owner says she will push through the pain and campaign with the same vigour.

Dansey and another member of her campaign team had been knocking on doors around the city this morning, informing people of the byelection and encouraging them to vote.

While in the suburb of Melville near Waikato Hospital, Dansey told the Herald, she knocked on a front door with her right arm, but it seemed no one was home.

Just as she was putting a pamphlet in the door, a woman opened the door,

and Dansey jumped backwards in surprise, causing her right shoulder to pop out of its socket.

“I said to my volunteer, ‘Can you handle this one?’ and I sat down in the driveway and tried to calm down,” she said.

“I wiggled it back into place a few minutes later.”

Shoulder dislocation is a regular injury for Dansey, who has done it about 10 times previously.

Dansey explained it didn’t take much for her shoulder to pop out, saying it had even happened once while she slept.

“It always happens at random moments, but because it’s an old injury, I know how to manage it,” she said with a laugh.

Labour Party West Hamilton candidate Georgie Dansey campaigns at Fieldays. Photo / Mike Scott

Dansey’s volunteer carried out the rest of the conversation with the woman at the door, who was reportedly undecided about who she would vote for in the byelection.

Now in a sling, Dansey said she wouldn’t be doing any more door-knocking today but would talk to Hamilton West residents by phone instead.

With a busy day tomorrow, Dansey said she wouldn’t let the injury get her down.

“It shows how much work I’ve put into this campaign but I will absolutely continue to do so and will be back at it bright and early tomorrow.”