Green Party says 'clearly unacceptable' for Julie Anne Genter to intimidate Matt Doocey in Parliament

The Greens say one of its MPs intimidating a National Party counterpart is "clearly unacceptable".  

Julie Anne Genter was forced to apologise for intimidating Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey during a debate in the House.  

It happened as Labour MP Rachel Boyack was speaking on the Government's transport policy.  

Parliament TV footage showed Genter rising from her seat, approaching Doocey with a stack of papers and yelling while standing over him.  

Speaker Gerry Brownlee returned to the House to deal with the matter and Genter subsequently apologised.  

A Greens spokesperson said the party's co-leaders, Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson, had spoken with Genter and "made clear their expectations".  

"Julie Anne Genter's actions were clearly unacceptable and do not meet the standards of what we expect of Green Party MPs," the spokesperson said on Wednesday night. "Julie Anne has apologised to the Speaker and to the House."  

Genter in her apology said the "last thing that I wanted to do to intimidate anyone in this House".  

"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.  

"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."  

It's understood National would likely lodge a privileges complaint.