‘I crossed a line’: Julie Anne Genter on Parliament outburst

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The Green MP for Rongotai, Julie Anne Genter, at her electorate office in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Green Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has admitted she crossed a line when she yelled in the face of a minister in Parliament and says she will receive de-escalation training to recognise when she’s in “fight or flight” mode.

In her first extended interview since the heated incident
this month, Genter told the Herald she hopes it will not become the defining moment of her 12-year career as an MP.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee has referred Genter to the privileges committee after she crossed the floor in the debating chamber and waved a book in the face of National MP Matt Doocey after he commented on Labour cancelling roads.
“I fully apologised the moment it happened. I realised I crossed a line”, Genter said.
“I did, as I said that night in Parliament, want to share some information in a report with the Honourable Matt Doocey who was not speaking at the time officially but who was, along with many of the other members, barracking when Rachel Boyack was speaking.
“But it was the wrong thing to do and I am totally committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again.”
Genter would not answer questions about whether anything had happened that day to influence her behaviour or exactly what she was trying to tell Doocey, while the matter was before the privileges committee.
She will receive de-escalation training, which she feels will be helpful for her in Parliament and other parts of her life.
“I think it’s learning to recognise when you might be having a fight or flight response and making sure that you have the tools necessary to say the right thing or take the right action that is not going to lead to an intense situation escalating. And in fact, calm it down.”
Genter has received support from people in her electorate and some negative feedback.
“There are people who have let me know that they weren’t impressed by my actions and they expected an apology and of course, I’ve been quite happy to give that apology.”
It did not feel good to make a mistake, she said.
“The best thing you can do when that’s happened is own your own responsibility and accountability.”
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have called the behaviour “completely unacceptable” but have ruled out stripping Genter of her portfolios as an option in their disciplinary process.
Genter was humbled by their confidence in her and said it was a privilege to hold her portfolios, which include transport.
Transport was the subject of two other allegations by Wellington business owners about Genter’s behaviour.
Cranfields owner Nicola Cranfield alleged Genter grabbed her upper arm and gave it a little shake during a discussion about Cranfield’s position on removing car parks close to her business.
Four Seasons Florist owner Laura Newcombe said Genter filmed her during a confrontation about cycleways that she felt was “like something out of Police Ten 7″.
Genter said she was surprised when the allegations emerged but acknowledged she should have walked away sooner.
She said it was the first time this type of behaviour had been raised with her as an issue.
“It’s important that we are always open to understanding that other people don’t perceive our actions the way that we intend them and that it is important to take steps to be better.
“Because I am very passionate about transport, I want to be as effective as possible as an advocate and if I can be better at that, then I want to learn how.”
Genter said she cared so much about transport because there were opportunities to do things differently that would benefit everyone, like investing in public transport, walking, and cycling.
“It just ticks all those boxes of reducing pollution, improving health and happiness, and just having a more efficient network.
“I think there’s a mistaken belief that adding more lanes to roads in the cities will reduce congestion but we know that’s not true.”
Genter said she felt good about returning to Parliament next week.
She was working from home after the incident in the debating chamber, then flew to the Chatham Islands the following week and Parliament has been in recess this week.
Her attendance at the Chatham Islands Stakeholder Forum was a long-standing commitment as the local MP.
Genter said she asked the Green Party co-leaders before going and they said to carry on with her work.
She travelled there on a Defence Force plane, meaning she sidestepped journalists waiting to try to talk to her at Wellington Airport’s terminal.
However, Genter said, that was a pre-existing arrangement and it made sense for her to travel on that plane as part of the official delegation.
Asked how recent events compared with other challenges she has faced as an MP, Genter said: “Having a baby while being a minister for the first time was a pretty challenging time.”
Fronting the clean car discount when it went out for consultation attracted a lot of negative attention, she said.
“This is what some people call the rough and tumble of politics. Politicians aren’t perfect but I want to be the best I can be.”
Genter said she was grateful for the support she had received in this chapter of her political career – from members of the public, the Green Party, and her family.
“I’m immensely grateful for the privilege that I’ve had to have this role representing people and I want to do that justice.”
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
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