Julie Anne Genter confrontation: Winston Peters says Green MP's ...

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says Green MP Julie Anne Genter “lost the plot” after she confronted a National MP in Parliament.

Genter apologised in Parliament yesterday and could face further disciplinary action after a complaint was made of intimidatory behaviour towards Minister Matthew Doocey on Wednesday night.

Genter walked across the debating chamber to Doocey, waved a booklet and spoke angrily to him while getting close to his face.

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.”

The incident happened about 8pm, while Labour’s Nelson MP Rachel Boyack was speaking and followed some interjections between Doocey and Genter.

It was visible in the background of the footage on Parliament TV.

“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.”

Genter could face further action if National opts to try to refer it to the Privileges Committee.

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.

A Green Party spokesperson said 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.”