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A new allegation has��been levelled against Green MP Julie Anne Genter, with a Wellington businesswoman claiming the politician grabbed her arm during an exchange about a controversial plan to ban cars from the heart of the city.��

It comes after Four Seasons Florist owner Laura Newcombe revealed Genter filmed her during a confrontation about cycleways that she felt was��“like something out of Police Ten 7″.��

Genter has been working from home following an incident in Parliament’s debating chamber on Wednesday night, where she crossed the floor and waved a book in the face of��National Minister Matt Doocey��after he commented on Labour cancelling roads.��

The incident triggered multiple privileges complaints, with Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick��calling the behaviour “completely unacceptable”.��

Now, Cranfield’s owner Nicola Cranfield has alleged she experienced her own “upsetting” experience with Genter.��

Cranfield claimed she saw Genter in Wellington’s Midland Park sometime between the end of last year’s general election and Christmas.��

Cranfield said she had always been curious about a letter Genter may have written in her capacity as Associate Transport Minister to former Wellington Mayor Justin Lester that led to a plan to remove private vehicles from the city’s Golden Mile.��

Cranfield approached Genter and proceeded to ask about the letter.��

“She bristled and got really defensive”, Cranfield said.��

“She said: ‘I’m no longer in power, I’m in the Opposition’, and she really washed her hands of any responsibility.”��

• "Perhaps she just wanted to come in and sort me out": Wellington florist on encounter with Julie Anne Genter
• 'Like Police Ten 7': Florist reveals Julie Anne Genter filmed her during confrontation
• Facing the Privileges Committee: Julie Anne Genter's potential punishment
• Watch: ‘Please resume your seat’ - Complaint made after Green MP clashes with Minister
• "Appalling incident": Julie Anne Genter's confrontation is "part of a wider trend"
• "She wanted to target me": Florist speaks about Julie Anne Genter altercation

Nicola Cranfield described the encounter with Julie Anne Genter as very odd. Photo / file��

Cranfield pushed for an answer again, saying the planned transport changes had negatively affected her retail business.��

Genter repeated herself, grabbed Cranfield’s upper arm, and gave it a little shake, Cranfield alleged.��

Cranfield said in her view it “wasn’t a friendly squeeze”. She believed it was make Cranfield feel that Genter was in a “position of power”.��

Cranfield pulled away and could not recall if Genter said anything else.��

“I was pretty upset and didn’t know what to do or say. I was just not expecting her to lay a hand on me.��

“It was just very odd to be grabbed by a politician.”��

Asked about Cranfield’s claims, a Green Party spokesperson said co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick had no prior knowledge of the allegations regarding Genter which have recently come to light.��

“They had already taken disciplinary action after Wednesday’s incident in Parliament, which was clearly unacceptable and fell short of the high standards the Green Party expects of its MPs.��

“As part of the disciplinary action, Julie Anne will receiving professional and personal support to ensure incidents of this nature never happen again.”��

Genter herself did not respond to a separate request for comment.��

Four Seasons Florist owner Laura Newcombe believed Julie Anne Genter tried to humiliate her after a confrontation in her shop about cycleways. Photo / Katrina Bennett��

Cranfield said she did not take the matter further at the time as she was busy running her business.��

“I just thought maybe she (Genter) had a really bad day and sort of tried to brush it aside.��

“It really just came back this week when I saw her behaviour in other situations and I realised it obviously wasn’t a one-off isolated incident.”��

Cranfield felt Genter’s actions came from a position of arrogance.��

“A real arrogance towards people on the ground- the ones paying rates, paying GST, paying a lot of money and working hard.”��

Cranfield is among some business owners who��are vehemently opposed to the Golden Mile project, claiming it will do nothing to enliven the city centre and will turn the capital’s main artery into little more than a bus lane.��

The project includes removing vehicles from Courtenay Place through to Lambton Quay to make space for dedicated bus lanes, bike lanes and wider footpaths to prioritise walking and cycling.��

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has said that is what transformational change looks like.��

“It will create a beautiful and pedestrian-friendly CBD that will attract people, workers and shoppers. It will make our buses more reliable. It is estimated to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to benefit our city.”��

Last month Cranfield��revealed she is closing her store after 33 years, saying she doesn’t want to spend any more time fighting her own council over the plan.��

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.��

This article was originally published on the NZ Herald .��