MP Maureen Pugh makes clear she accepted Simon Bridges' apology

West Coast-based National List MP Maureen Pugh.

National MP Maureen Pugh has made it clear to the Deputy Electorate Chairman of West Coast-Tasman that she accepted Simon Bridges' apology, after he wrote on Facebook he will be "actively campaigning" for Bridges' resignation.

In a Facebook post to Bridges, Tom Addison – the Deputy Chairman of National's West Coast/ Tasman electorate – said the comments made about Pugh by the National Leader in the secret tape showed his "lack of loyalty to [his] caucus".

He would now be "actively campaigning" for Bridges' resignation, he said.

"As Maureen Pugh's campaign manager and as Deputy Chair in West Coast/ Tasman, your statement is abhorrent to me."

The post, written on Wednesday evening, has since been deleted.

The chairman of National's West Coast/ Tasman electorate, Boyd Becker, said Maureen has spoken to Addison about the post.

"Maureen has said that Simon has unreservedly apologised and that she has accepted his apology. She has made that clear to Tom and we need to move on."

He said that Addison was a volunteer, as well as being the Deputy Electorate Chairman.

On Wednesday, former National MP Jami-Lee Ross released a secretly recorded phone call where Bridges called Pugh "f***ing useless."

Soon after the tape was released, Bridges "unreservedly apologised" to Pugh.

"It was inappropriate. I value the work she does as the National List MP based in West Coast-Tasman and as our Associate Spokesperson for Children."

Pugh said it was "pretty devastating" hearing Bridges comments on tape.

She and Bridges had a face-to-face talk on Wednesday and she is "really happy with where we left it."

But Pugh has hinted her conversation with the National Leader was slightly more intense than she had previously let on.

In response to a comment on a Facebook post, Pugh made where she said she had accepted his apology, one commenter said this was "not the right response from a [West] coaster."

Pugh replied: "You didn't hear what I said to him in person!"