House Speaker Gerry Brownlee has confirmed he has received a privilege complaint relating to Green MP Julie Anne Genter's outburst in Parliament.
"Members, I have received letters from party whips raising with me a matter of privilege in relation to events in the committee of the whole House last night."
Brownlee said there is now a natural justice process to follow, during which Genter can make representations to the Speaker by midday on Monday. Brownlee said he would make his ruling after that.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson told reporters that Genter was currently working from home.
"It is best that she was working from home today… We have got a disciplinary process happening where we will be making it very clear that this must not happen again and providing personal and professional support," Davidson said on Thursday.
"… It completely fell below our standards of behaviour."
She said the disciplinary process sets out what the Party's expectations for behaviour are and makes it clear this must not happen again.
"This is obviously unacceptable behaviour and we've been really clear with Julie Anne about that as well. That's why we are following this disciplinary action," Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said.
Davidson said she has reached out to Doocey and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to make it clear Genter's actions were unacceptable. She added she hadn't heard back from the pair.
What happened
The outburst occurred as Labour's Rachel Boyack was asking the Transport Minister about projects in the South Island, expressing concern that there were only a small number planned in the South.
In particular, she was asking about a delay in the Hope Bypass when Doocey, the Associate Minister for Transport, interjected.
It is not clear what Doocey said, however, in response Genter got up out of her seat and approached him with a book, slammed it down on his desk, and started yelling and waving her arms at him.
Deputy Speaker Barbara Kuriger interrupted, demanding Genter go back to her seat.
"We are just going to have some order here, sorry Rachel Boyack, we will have order. We know that transport is one of those touchy subjects but if we want to get the best out of the minister, interjections are fine but it would be good if we could just ask the questions and let the minister answer them," Kuriger said.
"…It is not appropriate to get out of one's seat to have an argument with someone on the other side."
Boyack then continued with her question, however, the matter was later brought to Speaker Gerry Brownlee's attention.
Scott Simpson, National's chief whip, asked Brownlee to be recalled to the House because of Genter's actions.
"Genter strode across the chamber of the House and physically accosted Minister Doocey in a threatening and intimidating way that I think is utterly unbecoming and unparliamentary of this Chamber," Simpson said.
"I have never seen behaviour of that sort in this Chamber in my time in this House and I think it is a serious matter that warrants an intervention."
Green MP Steve Abel, who wasn't in the House at the time of the incident but watched it on Parliament TV, said there was no physical contact and his colleague wanted to show Doocey the data in her booklet.
"She's a very science and data-driven person," he said.
National's Dr Vanessa Weenink said Genter was making "angry, loud and quite intimidating actions" to Doocey.
"That was an extraordinary outburst and it was intimidating in its nature," she said.
ACT MP Karen Chhour added it looked like a huge amount of intimidation, that was very close to Doocey and if it was her she would have felt intimidated.
Genter then stood up and apologised.
"If I could apologise for my actions Mr Speaker. It was the last thing that I wanted to do to intimidate anyone in this House," she said.
What has absolutely motivated me is a desire to share information that I believe 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 it was not appropriate for any MP to stand on the floor of Parliament and called Genter to speak.
"That is why, Mr Speaker, I'm apologising, that I was physically intimidating. That was not my intention and I will not do that in the future."
"Well we don't want to see that happen again," Brownlee replied.
He suggested if she has those "passionate feelings" to a point she needs to intervene like that again she should go out of the House.
"That would be a much better solution," he said.
If someone feels there has been a breach of privilege, they know there is a course of action to follow in that regard, Brownlee added.
