Julie Anne Genter confrontation: Green Party says ‘disciplinary process’ is underway over MP’s behavior and privilege complaint filed

The Green Party has launched disciplinary proceedings over the behavior of MP Julie Anne Genter following a confrontation in Parliament last night, which has now led to a privilege claim.

“This cannot happen again,” Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson told the media at a press conference this afternoon.

“That was completely below our standards of behavior,” Davidson said.

The Speaker of Parliament, Gerry Brownlee, has also just confirmed to Parliament that he had received complaints about privileges from party leaders in relation to the incident. He did not specify which parties had filed the complaints.

Speaking in Parliament, he said the natural justice process meant he would give the MP facing the complaint (Genter) until midday on Monday to make a complaint about it before making a decision on it. He reminded MPs that once a point of privilege had been raised, they should not raise the incident in Parliament until their decision was made.

Genter walked across the debate room last night and waved a book in front of National Minister Matt Doocey. He later apologized for his actions.

His behavior has been called unacceptable by political leaders including NZ First’s Winston Peters and Labour’s Chris Hipkins.

Davidson did not answer whether Genter had displayed similar behavior in the past or violated the party’s behavioral expectations. He limited himself to commenting on the actions that took place last night.

“(Their actions) were not good and they were wrong.”

The Greens had an internal MP code of conduct and Genter had violated it.

Davidson said he had contacted Doocey and Premier Christopher Luxon but had not received a response. Doocey did not comment on the matter when asked by reporters.

Davidson believed the party did not need to conduct an investigation into the role it might have played in Genter’s actions.

Asked how they might respond to public concern about the state of the party, Davidson said he understood whether some members of the public would have concerns in light of Genter’s actions, which followed the resignations of former MPs Golriz Ghahraman and Elizabeth Kerekere.

Davidson said he had thought it was best that Genter not be here today.

Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said they had made it clear to Genter that his actions were not acceptable.

“Last night he crossed a threshold,” Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick acknowledged that he had spoken to Genter about a previous incident of bad behavior during a media interview.

Doocey declined to comment to reporters on the matter as he addressed question time this afternoon.

This morning on Newstalk ZB, Deputy Prime Minister Peters said Genter “lost his way” and should face consequences, while Hipkins also said such behavior was not acceptable.

A Green Party spokesperson previously said Genter’s actions were “clearly unacceptable and do not meet the standards of what we expect from Green Party MPs”.

“The co-directors spoke with Julie Anne and made their expectations clear. Julie Anne has apologized to the President and the House.”

If his actions weren’t intimidating, “I don’t know what is,” Peters told 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 he was going to “hit them in the nose with it.”

“I think he just lost his mind.”

When asked what should happen to Genter, Peters said her saying “I made you feel unsafe and I’m sorry” just “isn’t enough.”

“This has to have consequences… it’s extremely disappointing.”

Act Party leader David Seymour tweeted about it, saying that “there is a culture in the Greens where they think they know everything and the rules don’t apply to them. “Now there is a Green Party scandal almost every month where one of their MPs acts in accordance with that culture.”

Meeting the media in south Auckland this morning, Labor leader Hipkins said that, although he was also not in the House at the time, he had seen Genter’s “unflattering photos”.

He was unwilling to comment on whether this was intimidating behaviour, but he did not believe it was acceptable for politicians to get up and walk across the House.

The incident occurred about 8pm while Nelson Labor MP Rachel Boyack was speaking and came after some booing between Doocey and Genter over road transport funding.

It was visible in the background of television images of Parliament.

“Miss Genter. Miss Genter, please sit back down,” demanded the president at the time, Barbara Kuriger.

“It is not appropriate to get up from your seat to argue with someone on the other side.”

Speaker Gerry Brownlee was called into the debating chamber to address the issue after National party leader Scott Simpson asked Kuriger to do so.

After other MPs spoke, Genter stood up and said he would like to apologize, saying he had been trying to show Doocey some information in a leaflet.

“The last thing I wanted to do was intimidate anyone in this House. What absolutely motivated me was the desire to share information that I thought would be beneficial to everyone in this House. And I am very sorry if in my passion to do it I was intimidating. That was not my intention.”

Brownlee said he had not seen the incident himself, but that MPs could make a privilege complaint if they felt it was justified and Genter’s apology was not enough.