FORMER Port Stephens mayor Bruce MacKenzie has discontinued defamation action against two people over a Facebook post following a Nelson Bay business awards function.
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Mr MacKenzie ended his Supreme Court action against Port Stephens retail assistant Katrina Harvey, paid his own legal costs and agreed not to take any further action against Ms Harvey relating to the Facebook post that prompted the defamation claim.
He has also discontinued his case against Port Stephens Labor mayoral candidate Des Maslen, who re-posted Ms Harvey’s Facebook post referring to Mr MacKenzie’s interaction with several women at the awards function.
Mr Maslen confirmed each party would pay his own legal costs.
Mr MacKenzie discontinued the case after Mr Maslen agreed to express his regret about his part in the Facebook posts incident in 2016.
Ms Harvey’s solicitor David Prior said Mr MacKenzie discontinued the proceedings and “We’re happy at the fact the former mayor has done so.”
Mr Maslen declined to comment.
Mr MacKenzie said he had reached an “amicable discontinuance” with Ms Harvey and Mr Maslen.
“It’s all over red rover. I don’t want to say much. I don’t put things on any Facebook page,” he said.
Mr MacKenzie launched the proceedings in April, 2017 only weeks before NSW Judge Judith Gibson said defamation claims against ordinary Australians “based on publications on the internet, emails and on social media, are now far more common than claims against traditional media defendants”.
