Colin Craig won't release 'I quit' email

Press secretary resigns two days out from election, reportedly calling Conservative leader ‘a very manipulative man’

Conservative leader Colin Craig has declined to release the email he received from former press secretary Rachel MacGregor announcing her shock resignation.

Mr Craig told APNZ yesterday he understood Ms MacGregor was sleeping and recovering after resigning from her job yesterday, just two days out from the election.

He was yet to speak to her about her resignation.

"We have had a brief telephone conversation with people who are close to her and they have confirmed that she is resting and getting some sleep so at this stage we are assured that she is fine."

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Mr Craig said Ms MacGregor sent a "very brief" email shortly after noon yesterday saying she was resigning. "She didn't give any reason," he said.

Mr Craig declined to release the email.

"As far as we're concerned that's correspondence between someone who is providing contract services and we wouldn't release it without her approval," Mr Craig said.

Ms MacGregor told Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper yesterday morning that her former boss was a "very manipulative man".

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Mr Craig left a radio interview yesterday and was questioned by media about Ms MacGregor's resignation.

Rachel MacGregor: Newstalk ZB said she was very upset. Photo / LinkedIn.

He told reporters he thought she was having a day off when she failed to turn up for work yesterday morning and said he would talk to her in the afternoon.

The resignation had "caught me totally out of the blue", Mr Craig said.

"It was a bit of a surprise, so for me I hope she's okay and hopefully we'll get a chance to get to the bottom of whatever concerns she's got."

Ms MacGregor had done "an incredible job" on the Conservative campaign trail, he said, and he was "impressed with the work she's done".

"We're going so well in the campaign and looking forward to a successful result on Saturday. I wish she was part of that, really, because she certainly made a great contribution towards it."

He denied the pair had any problems in their working relationship, saying there had not been any issues or disagreements in the last days which might have prompted the shock departure.

Mr Craig did not know why she would have described him as manipulative.

"Until I've had a conversation with her it's just not possible for me to know what she's thinking."

Her resignation just two days away from the election would not have an impact on the party's performance at the polls, he said.

Ms MacGregor has not returned calls or emails for comment. Bev Beets has taken over as press secretary.

In a profile of Mr Craig in Metro magazine in March, Ms MacGregor said she had suffered personal criticism for joining the Conservatives.

Ms MacGregor, who used to work as producer on TVNZ shows Breakfast and Good Morning, said: "There've been people who have deleted me off Facebook. Tamati Coffey, who I worked with for many years.

"There's actually been a number of people in the media who've gone, 'Oh, you're working for Colin Craig? I can't talk to you anymore.' Steve Gray at Good Morning is a lovely guy, we got on really well, but now I'm the devil, apparently."

Ms MacGregor hasn't posted anything on her Twitter account since August 28.

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