Rachel MacGregor says New Zealand would be 'disgusted' at texts Colin Craig sent to her

Colin Craig today cross-examined his former press secretary Rachel MacGregor. Photo / Dean Purcell

Rachel MacGregor says if the New Zealand public could see the text messages Colin Craig sent her "they would be disgusted".

"You've conveniently deleted all the text messages you've sent me. And if this court was to see them, they would be disgusted, as would the rest of New Zealand," she said.

The former TVNZ journalist was cross-examined today by the former Conservative Party leader at the High Court in Auckland, as part of the ongoing defamation case between Craig and blogger Cameron Slater.

She said it took "a lot of guts" to resign as the Conservative Party's press secretary just two days before the 2014 general election and leave the "dodgy as heck" Craig.

MacGregor earlier said she was "not going to sit here and allow" Craig's "ridiculous" evidence to be heard, questioning why a judge was allowing it.

She was asked by Craig, who is representing himself, about a November 2011 text message, which the politician claims MacGregor sent to him.

"Thank you so much, such a treat, you really are wonderful - I hope there's time for me to rub your shoulders tomorrow," the text purportedly read.

Craig asked: "Do you accept, from time to time, you would offer to loosen up, in this case, my shoulders?"

MacGregor replied that Craig would be the first to initiate a request for a shoulder rub, but has said on several occasions she cannot recall what she may have said in a text.

During her cross-examination, MacGregor has also accused Craig several times of doctoring screen shots of text messages between the pair.

She has repeatedly questioned the method used to recover the text messages for Craig to use as evidence.

"You can get something from a reliable source, and not something from someone who's been in jail," she said earlier today.

The PR advisor was referencing Craig's use of former Christchurch detective Mike Chappell to recover the text messages.

Chappell was convicted in 2002 on 10 dishonesty charges, and was jailed for three years and nine months before, after a year, he spent the remainder of his sentence under home detention.

"I don't know which parts of these texts are as they say they are," MacGregor told the court.

"I don't know why you're accepting this, your honour? Considering it's come from a criminal."

Rachel MacGregor (centre) was cross-examined today by Colin Craig in court.

However, Justice Kit Toogood, who is presiding over the case, said Craig was entitled to question her over his claims "that these are legitimate text exchanges between you".

The judge said it was what he accepted, not MacGregor, which was important in the case as he is "asked to draw certain inferences from this evidence".

"How can you gain that [inference] when you haven't seen his text messages?" continued MacGregor.

"I'm not going to sit here and allow it, it's ridiculous."

Justice Toogood told MacGregor it was an "opportunity" for her to "influence the findings of fact" he may take from the evidence.

"I don't understand how this is an opportunity for me," MacGregor replied.

"I can't believe I'm being made to stand in front of the man that did this to me.

"I can't believe a man who treated me like this is allowed to question me over and over, it's just so stupid."

One of her supporters left her seat in the public gallery, but stopped at the bar, in an attempt to comfort an emotional MacGregor.

A short adjournment was taken soon after.

Late in the afternoon, Justice Toogood asked Craig to progress his cross-examination in a more timely manner.

"Mr Craig, this case, as I understand it, is about what you did and your relationship with Miss MacGregor up until her resignation ... and what Mr Slater wrote about that," the judge said.

He asked Craig to help him understand how some of his questions to MacGregor were relevant.

"I'm just getting to my key questions, your honour," Craig said.

"Well get on with it, please," the judge replied.

Cameron Slater is being sued for defamation.

After about another hour of further evidence was heard, Craig said he wanted to move to "more important issues" - such as his relationship with MacGregor.

"We certainly do, Mr Craig - because you've got 15 more minutes," MacGregor said, looking at the courtroom clock.

"I was subpoenaed for one day, as I understood it, but it's gone to three days already," she earlier told the judge.

As the court was adjourned for the day, MacGregor said she was not comfortable nor could financially afford to return to the witness stand for another full day and "give all this time to these horrendous men".

Justice Toogood apologised and said the case had been a "gross intrusion" on her life, but ordered MacGregor back to the witness stand on Friday when the trial resumes.

MacGregor unwittingly signed up to Conservative Party

MacGregor earlier said she was signed up as a member of the Conservative Party unwittingly.

Craig asked if the Conservative Party movement was "close to [MacGregor's] heart" when she was employed by the party prior to the 2011 general election.

He also noted she was a signed member of the party.

"I didn't personally become a member of the Conservative Party, but your secretary signed me up without my knowledge," MacGregor said.

"You were trying to get 500 members and you, [party secretary] Kevin [Stitt], signed up every Tom, Dick, and Harry you could find. I didn't know I'd be signed up until I got something in the mail ... I never paid a subscription."

Craig cited a memo from MacGregor which read how she'd researched the party's relationship with the press.

"You were doing a bad job with the media, you needed some help," she said, adding she didn't align with the party's policies because "even [Craig] didn't know what the party was about at that point".

Craig began his questioning of MacGregor by discussing her career history at TVNZ, including stories where she was required to travel overseas.

One story was an assignment in Rwanda, 10 years after the genocide.

"I don't know how this is relevant?" MacGregor asked twice.

Justice Toogood replied: "Leave that up to me Miss MacGregor - I'm wondering the same thing myself."

Sitting in the witness stand, MacGregor was growing seemingly frustrated as Craig was "jumping around" in his line of questioning by discussing events where she both worked for him and was employed elsewhere.

"Just trying to establish a timeline," Craig quipped.

"You're establishing a timeline, but you're not doing a very good job of it," MacGregor retorted, before Justice Toogood interrupted.

Craig said he was asking about MacGregor's reporting history to determine if she thought a person who covered such stories displayed confidence and "some level of bravery and courage".

"Or stupidity, yes," MacGregor said.

On Monday MacGregor gave evidence about Craig's "dodgy poems", "sleep trick", and relationship with the New Zealand media.

While yesterday, she continued by speaking of what was intended to be a confidential Human Rights Commission mediation hearing, where she said Craig mentioned "he'd set aside a million dollars and was going to destroy me".

Craig is suing Slater, the blogger for website Whale Oil Beef Hooked, for defamation regarding sexual harassment allegations involving MacGregor.

In response to the allegations, Craig published a booklet called Dirty Politics and Hidden Agendas which he distributed to more than a million households and held a press conference about Slater.