Craig open to leading Conservative Party again if he enjoys "broad grassroots support"; confirms $56,000 in payments to Rachel MacGregor.
Nick Grant talks about the Colin Craig saga on NBR Radio and on demand on MyNB
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Ex-Conservative Party leader’s Colin Craig media conference this afternoon in a small meeting room of a Takapuna motor inn was a muted, forlorn affair.
Mr Craig, accompanied by his wife Helen, prefaced his remarks by noting that, as he’d stepped down as leader and board member of the party, his statements were on his own behalf.
He said he was holding the press conference because of “wild allegations” in the media about him, which he attributed to a lack of information that resulted in “some people filling in the gaps very creatively.”
The speculation meant Mr Craig was “reluctantly forced to respond.”
Mr Craig said all the matters with his former press secretary Rachel MacGregor – whose surprise resignation just two days before last September’s general election resulted in a blaze of publicity – had been resolved.
He said he’d agreed to pay an additional $16,000 to Ms MacGregor for work she’d done for the party on top of $20,000 that had been paid in advance.
In addition, $20,000 Mr Craig had lent Ms MacGregor interest-free to enable her settle a credit card debt had been “forgiven on compassionate grounds” at Ms MacGregor’s request.
Mr Craig said his working relationship with Ms McGregor had been positive and constructive, and he denied any and all allegations of sexual harassment, although he did acknowledge that in hindsight some of his and Ms McGregor’s behaviour may have been “inappropriate.”
He declined to provide a definition of what “inappropriate” might entail, suggesting journalists consult a dictionary.
He also declined to give any details of the allegations made against him or of correspondence between him and Ms McGregor.
Mr Craig did confirm a complaint had been made against him to the Human Rights Commission but this had subsequently been withdrawn and resolved.
Mrs Craig read a brief statement, saying "I choose to stand with my husband here today in full love and support of him whom I believe has been falsely accused" and noting that the speculation about Mr Craig related to "allegations already withdrawn.”
Mr Craig said he was open to taking up the leadership of the Conservative Party again if there were broad grassroots support for such a move and he would be contacting party members in the days ahead.
He said he stood down as leader and board member to prevent divisions and to defuse an overheated situation.
Mr Craig said he is not considering legal action against any media organisations for reports published before this afternoon’s media conference but suggested that, if similar coverage continued, he might do so.
He acknowledged that a recent item on TV3’s late night programme Newsworthy, in which he was interviewed in a sauna, had proved to be divisive but he personally thought it was an “interesting way of doing something different” and he’d had feedback that he’d come across as a good sport.
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