Ex-mayor reveals $20,000 legal bill
Former Christchurch mayor Garry Moore has revealed he paid $20,000 to fight legal action brought against him by a senior council manager.
John Mackie, the city’s former head of three waters and waste, sued Moore last year for $500,000 in damages over claims he defamed him in comments regarding water chlorination.
Moore denied either comments or that they amounted to defamation, and the case was eventually dropped in December before reaching court.
After a long meeting the pair came to an agreement, Mackie withdrew his allegations and no further action was taken.
There was no out-of-court settlement and each party paid their own legal costs.
Moore this week revealed that the situation was resolved with the help of Rod Cameron, a former value manager at the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team.
He said: ‘‘Differences were sorted out quite easily. I applaud and thank Rod for his leadership.
‘‘When it gets tangled in the court system, there are no winners, apart from the legal profession.’’
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the Former Christchurch mayor Garry Moore
‘‘There are no winners in a defamation action. As I consider the $20,000 reduction in our bank account, I reflect on those who could have brought John and I together months before we were.
‘‘There will always be points of tension in public debate (which is what this was essentially about) – in fact it is essential – but when it gets tangled in the court system, there are apart from the legal profession.’’ no winners,
Mackie, who was appointed head of three waters and waste in January 2016, reportedly resigned suddenly from his position last week following a turbulent 12 months.
He and his department had come under scrutiny over the vulnerabilities in the water infrastructure that led to emergency chlorination and a highly critical report.