Ex-party board member sues Craig

Former Conservative Party board member John Stringer believes a booklet released by ex-leader Colin Craig hurt his political aspirations.

Stringer is now suing Craig for defamation – the latest in a string of lawsuits involving the former Conservative Party leader.

Yesterday, the former colleagues delivered opening statements in the High Court at Auckland before Justice Matthew Palmer. The lawsuit centres on the booklet Dirty Politics and Hidden Agendas, released by Craig and his wife, Helen, at a press conference in July 2015.

In opening, Stringer told the court the booklet, which was sent to 1.6 million households, was designed to defame him ‘‘to as wide an audience as possible’’.

The booklet, Stringer said, alleged he was involved in a ‘‘dirty politics conspiracy’’.

It made numerous careless errors of fact and presumptive statements, Stringer added.

In 2016, Stringer ran for a Christchurch City Council seat in the Papanui ward, but lost.

In his opening statements, Stringer claimed members of the public subsequently told him ‘‘that Colin Craig stuff’’ hurt his campaign. Before the 2017 general election, Stringer was considered by NZ First as a potential candidate in South Canterbury’s Rangitata electorate. However, Stringer said the person organising his candidacy later said the party wanted to withdraw it, ‘‘because I was one of those dirty politics brigade fellows’’.

Stringer has also filed claims against Helen Craig, along with party membership manager Angela Storr, booklet moderator Steve Taylor and another party member, Kevin Stitt.

In an opening statement for the defendants, Craig said it was their case that an attack was carried out from inside the Conservative Party itself, in the media and on the plaintiff’s blog. The contest was not about whether the defendants had made certain statements, but the defendants would argue their statements were not defamatory.

They would show Stringer had lied and acted with former Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater and Taxpayers’ Union executive director Jordan Williams, Craig said.

The case is set down for three weeks.