Craig vs MacGregor rematch
Former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig has again given details about his relationship with former press secretary Rachel MacGregor.
Craig told a court the relationship was ‘‘inappropriate’’ but did not constitute sexual harassment.
Craig and MacGregor are suing each other for defamation.
Earlier yesterday, Craig dropped his claim for damages against MacGregor, noting a article in which MacGregor outlined she could not afford to pay damages.
This hearing is the latest stage in the saga of the pair’s work relationship which deteriorated during the 2014 election campaign. Craig alleges three separate defamations.
MacGregor alleges defamed her four times.
In his opening address, Craig claimed MacGregor had a very different view of their relationship
Craig which fuelled her allegations he sexually harassed her.
Craig said he hired MacGregor to help with public and media relations before the 2011 election.
Craig said the pair became close. ‘‘We developed a close and affectionate working relationship and close friendship. We shared similar interests and values, including a Christian faith.’’
On the evening of election day 2011 he and MacGregor had a ‘‘consensual’’ moment where they kissed. MacGregor took off her top, Craig said, before the pair stopped.
Craig said ‘‘boundaries’’ were put in place to make sure a similar incident did not occur. He employed MacGregor for his 2014 election campaign. In the week before the election, MacGregor said she wanted more than a personal relationship. ‘‘I told her, that is not going to happen in this lifetime,’’ Craig said.
Two days before the 2014 election MacGregor resigned.
MacGregor then defamed him on three occasions, Craig said, including in a press release, in a tweet and in comments to Taxpayers’ Union member Jordan Williams. Hayden Wilson, MacGregor’s lawyer, said: ‘‘[Craig] sent her a series of letters, cards and poems. He gave her gifts of jewellery and sought out her company in irregular and inappropriate ways.
‘‘Ms MacGregor came to the view that was sexual harassment and left her job.’’ The first defamation is alleged at a press conference held by Craig about MacGregor. ‘‘What he actually did was introduce an entirely new set of information into the public arena,’’ Wilson said. ‘‘A set of information which was carefully curated to place himself in the best possible light and to damage Ms MacGregor.’’ MacGregor tried to defend herself with a press statement by her lawyer and a tweet, Wilson said.
Wilson said Craig had not engaged the defence of truth. Craig later said it was a mistake and asked if the truth defence could be reintroduced.
Wilson argued it was too late – something Justice Hinton is to rule on today.
When MacGregor resigned, she filed a claim of sexual harassment with the Human Rights Commission. The pair settled the claim and a financial dispute, and signed a confidentiality agreement. MacGregor subsequently complained to the Human Rights Review Tribunal that Craig had breached the confidentiality agreement. The tribunal agreed and ordered Craig to pay MacGregor $128,000.
Craig was also sued for defamation by Jordan Williams in
2016.
Williams won, with
$1.3 million awarded in damages. That amount was appealed and is currently before the Supreme Court.
In 2017, Craig and blogger Cameron Slater sued each other for defamation.