Green MP Julie Anne Genter told to return to her seat in Parliament during exchange with National's Matt Doocey. Video / Parliament TV
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says Green MP Julie Anne Genter “lost the plot” after she confronted a National MP in Parliament.
And the leader of the Opposition has also weighed in saying the actions of the politician was not acceptable.
Genter apologised in Parliament yesterday and could face further disciplinary action after a complaint was made of intimidatory behaviour towards Minister Matthew Doocey in the debating chamber on Wednesday night. During a debate about transport policy, Genter had walked across the debating chamber to Doocey, waved a booklet and spoke angrily to him while gesturing and getting close to his face.
National Party MPs were understood to be considering lodging a privileges complaint, which could see Genter face the Privileges Committee, a committee of MPs from all parties which has the power to censure MPs.
Genter could also face disciplinary action from the Green Party, whose co-leaders have described her behaviour as “unacceptable.”
Genter will spend the day away from Parliament today and took part in the transport select committee by Zoom this morning rather than attending in person.
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick are expected to front for questions just before 2pm today.
A Green Party spokesman said earlier Genter’s actions were “clearly unacceptable and do not meet the standards of what we expect of Green Party MPs.”
“The co-leaders have talked to Julie Anne and made clear their expectations. Julie Anne has apologised to the Speaker and to the House.”
If her actions weren’t intimidating, “I don’t know what is,” Peters said to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB.
Peters was not in the House last night but said he had spoken to people who were.
He described Genter’s actions as waving a “big book” in someone’s face as if she were going to “bang [him] on the nose with it.
”I think she just lost the plot.”
Asked what should happen to Genter, Peters said her saying “I made you feel unsafe and I’m sorry” just ‘doesn’t cut it’.
”There has to be consequences for this… it’s disappointing in the extreme.”
A parliamentary confrontation has caused a stir amongst politicians. Photo / Chris Marriner
At a media standup in South Auckland this morning Labour leader Chris Hipkins said while he was also not in the House at the time he had seen the “unflattering photos” of Genter.
He wasn’t prepared to comment on whether it was intimidating behaviour but didn’t think it was acceptable for politicians to get up and walk across the House.
“Miss Genter. Miss Genter, please resume your seat,” demanded the chair at the time, Barbara Kuriger.
“It’s not appropriate to get out of one’s seat to go and have an argument with somebody on the other side.”
Speaker Gerry Brownlee had to be recalled to the debating chamber to deal with the issue after National’s whip Scott Simpson asked Kuriger to do so.
After some other MPs spoke, Genter stood and said she would like to apologise, saying she had been trying to show Doocey some information in a booklet.
“It was the last thing I wanted to do was to intimidate anyone in this House. What has absolutely motivated me was a desire to share information that I believed would be of benefit to everyone in this House. And I’m very sorry if in my passion to do so, I was intimidating. That was not my intention.”
Brownlee said he had not seen the incident himself, but it would be open for MPs to lodge a privileges complaint if they felt it was warranted and that Genter’s apology was not sufficient.
