Green Party transport spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter. Photo / Marty Melville
Controversy has marred the Green Party as the Shaw era ends and the Swarbrick one begins.
Last week, former co-leader James Shaw delivered his valedictory speech in Parliament, marking the end of his decade in politics.
But rather than a smooth transition, just hours later Green MP Julie Anne Genter sparked outcry across the aisle after she stood over and shouted at Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.
She has since apologised for her actions. Both party co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson have condemned Genter’s behaviour in the House and initiated a disciplinary process involving Genter, but have given few details about it.
Since then, more allegations of inappropriate behaviour have emerged - including claims she grabbed the arm of a Wellington businesswoman during an exchange about a plan to ban cars from the city centre.
Genter will be absent from Parliament this week as she works from the Chatham Islands.
It’s the fourth scandal to hit the Greens in under a year.
Elizabeth Kerekere quit the party pre-election after accusations. In January, Golriz Ghahraman stepped down after being caught shoplifting and there’s still the ongoing independent investigation of MP Darleen Tana - whose husband’s company is being accused of migrant exploitation.
Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls told The Front Page it’s unprecedented for a small party to fight so many fights.
“Darlene Tana is still being investigated. It’s been months since we were told the investigation would take weeks and we’re still waiting around to see what happens.
“Meanwhile, she is not coming into Parliament. I assume she’s still on full pay and she’d only been in Parliament a couple of weeks. You can’t look at this situation for the Green Party and say it’s anything less than catastrophic in terms of their reputation.”
Walls says the Green Party members have the ultimate say when it comes to the candidate selection process.
“There’s gotta be some questions that the party has to be asking itself now. And now’s the perfect time to do it. If the Greens don’t continue to mess up and bring in more people from their list, you’d think they’d have a pretty good crop of people to choose from before the 2026 election.
“Maybe now’s the time they start rebuilding because, what’s the phrase? ‘You make hay while the sun shines’.”
Regarding smaller parties and their conduct in Parliament, Walls says the Act Party seems to be one of the great success stories.
“They’ve kept their nose clean and that is to the credit of the act’s leadership. They knew that from the outset the knives would be out for any bad behavior
“Put the shoe on the other foot. Imagine four Act Party MPs in trouble for behaving badly - two of them at the same time - while their party is investigating. You’d never hear the end of it.
“It wouldn’t happen, but you can imagine a scenario where the Green Party goes cap in hand with an olive branch to the Act Party and say, maybe we can take a bit of a page out of your book here.
Listen to the full episode to hear more from Wall about if the Greens and Genter can come back from these scandals.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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