Laura Newcombe says Green MP Julie Anne Genter became angry when the two were having a vigourous discussion about the cycleway outside Newcombe's shop. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
A Wellington florist claiming to have been bullied by Green MP Julie Anne Genter says she felt degraded and humiliated by the confrontation.
The Greens have launched disciplinary action against Genter, following an outburst towards National's Matt Doocey in the House on Wednesday night.
Multiple parties have complained to the Speaker, who has given Genter until Monday to respond. The Green Party has also launched a disciplinary process.
Following Genter's confrontation in Parliament, Newtown florist Laura Newcombe alleged on Newshub on Thursday that the Rongotai MP confronted her in her shop last week.
Newcombe has been a vocal opponent at public meetings and through the media of the removal of carparks outside her shop on Riddiford Street, which have been replaced by a cycleway.
She said usually her customers ring ahead, but Genter, who is a prominent cyclist turned up to "poke the bear" unannounced.
"I felt that she was just here to just unload a little bit of anger or frustration that she had," Newcombe told RNZ.
Newcombe said it was the first time the two had spoken face to face, but acknowledged they were prominent voices on opposing sides.
"We obviously are two passionate people with two different views. And I just pointed out to her, I said 'oh, look there's no one on the cycleway, there's ghost cyclists' and that enraged her.
"And then she started getting really angry. She just said 'Oh, that must be a lot, to really have a lot of hate in you' and all this sort of thing."
Newcombe said Genter then got out her phone and started filming.
"She was saying things like 'You hate my kids cycling,' and I was thinking 'I don't even know your kids, I don't know anything about you'.
"And then she pulled out the camera, she had it in my face, she was in my face, she was yelling, and I said 'Look you're going to have to leave' but she didn't like that. She stuck her heels in and was very slow to leave."
There is no parking outside Laura Newcombe's shop to accommodate the cycleway. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
Newcombe acknowledged she gave as good as she got to her critics, but denied she was a bully herself.
"Well yeah, we had an exchange, but of course we didn't swear or anything, because I'm still going to respect the woman."
But she said being filmed felt degrading and humiliating.
"It was a massive imbalance of power."
Newcombe acknowledged that there were public carparks in the nearby Woolworths supermarket, but after two knee replacements she wanted a loading zone outside her shop.
She said she had no issue with there being a cycleway during peak times, but not 24/7.
Greens confirm phone filming
Julie Anne Genter Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
A Green Party spokesperson said the co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick had "no prior knowledge" of Newcombe's allegations, but confirmed Genter took out her phone and filmed the florist during the exchange.
They maintained Genter's actions in the House were unacceptable, and fell short of the high standards the party expects of its MPs.
"The co-leaders took immediate action to initiate a disciplinary process and will be working with Julie Anne to make sure this behaviour is not repeated," the spokesperson said.
Davidson apologised to Newcombe, through an interview with Newshub, but Newcombe said she had not received a personal apology.
RNZ has contacted Genter for comment.
In 2022, Newcombe told RNZ's Midday Report the removal of the carparks would "finish" her business, which is situated across the road from Wellington Hospital.
"I would just like the council to come and buy this property, it's not fair that I bear the whole financial brunt of this. I've invested everything into this building where I live upstairs and where I work," she said at the time.
In September 2022, she told Wellington City Council's Planning and Environment Committee the cycleway was a "new experiment" and had "destroyed" the business.
"The process was flawed from the beginning, and rammed through with breakneck speed," she told the council.
She acknowledged the challenges of Covid-19 and high inflation, but she was unable to collect government grants as she had not recorded a 40 percent loss in revenue.
"Staying open and bleeding out all of my savings, is no longer an option," and told the council she would close the business the following Friday.
She then put up signs in the shop window, one reading "you killed this retail precinct by removing all the carparks. Unfair, unjust & undemocratic!" and another stating she had lost $45,000.
By December 2022 she had reopened.
