Colin Craig | |
---|---|
Craig in 2015 | |
1st Leader of the Conservative Party | |
In office 3 August 2011 – June 2015 | |
Deputy | Christine Rankin |
Succeeded by | Leighton Baker |
Personal details | |
Born | [1] Auckland, New Zealand | 8 January 1968
Political party | Conservative |
Spouse | Helen Craig |
Children | 2[2][3] |
Occupation | Businessman and politician |
Colin Craig (born 8 January 1968)[1] is a New Zealand businessman and perennial candidate who was the founding leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand.[4]
Craig is a millionaire who owns companies that manage high-rise buildings.[5] His current company manages about $1.3 billion of assets.[6] Upon entering politics in 2011, he opposed same-sex marriage, foreign ownership of land and housing, and "anti-smacking" legislation. On 19 June 2015, Craig resigned as leader of the Conservative Party following allegations of inappropriate behaviour surrounding the party's former press secretary Rachel MacGregor (to which he admitted later at a second press conference on 22 June 2015 with his wife)[7][8] and tensions with the party's governing board. Craig has since admitted to inappropriate conduct with MacGregor but has denied charges of sexual harassment a claim being challenged in the courts by several people including Craig himself.[9][10][11] On 27 June, Craig was formally suspended from the Conservative Party.[12] Since then, his suspension has been invalidated which would enable Craig to contest the Conservative Party's leadership.[13][14] On 16 November 2015, Craig announced that he would not be contesting the Conservative Party leadership in lieu of a police investigation against him over his Party's spending during the 2014 general election.[15]
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