Day 245 - 07 May 96 - Page 54


     
     1        slaughterhouses;
     2
     3        2.  Neither their USA nor Canadian companies or any other
     4        company in their group has used or does use meat which
     5        comes from cattle reared in former rainforests".
     6
     7        Can I just ask:  In your belief -- Mr. Morris has gone into
     8        the point about use of land which was formerly rainforest,
     9        he went into that this morning -- does the fact that you
    10        neither own run or manage slaughterhouses mean that you
    11        cannot be held responsible for what goes on in them when
    12        the animals are going to be used by McDonald's?
    13        A.  What goes on in slaughterhouses involving McDonald's is
    14        not as it is implied in these leaflets.  That I think
    15        evidence before me has shown.  Am I responsible for what
    16        everyone in the world does?  Absolutely not.
    17
    18   Q.   No, I am talking about the slaughterhouses which supply
    19        McDonald's with the beef, the animals that are being killed
    20        for McDonald's beef, chicken, and pork products.  Are you
    21        saying that because you do not own the slaughterhouses, or
    22        run them, or manage them, that you are not responsible for
    23        what goes on in them?
    24        A.  I work with the owners and operators of those
    25        facilities as much as we can as it relates to McDonald's
    26        products.  If they do something for other people, who will
    27        or will not tolerate a certain level of performance, I am
    28        afraid I have little to do with, or little influence over
    29        what they do with other people.  Certainly as it relates to
    30        us, I do feel a responsibility and work closely with these
    31        people to get what we want as the end result.
    32
    33   Q.   OK.  So, generally, that first point is pretty irrelevant
    34        really?
    35        A.  I think it is absolutely relevant.
    36
    37   Q.   Right?
    38        A.  It is alleged in the leaflets that we do just the
    39        opposite, and we do not own slaughterhouses and we do not
    40        manage slaughterhouses.  We are reliant on others in the
    41        industry.
    42
    43   Q.   If I just correct you.  It does not actually say anything
    44        about McDonald's owning, running or managing
    45        slaughterhouses in the leaflet.
    46
    47        The letter basically goes on to say that you believe that
    48        you are entitled to an injunction for damages and legal
    49        costs but that you are not going to pursue that "if Veggies
    50        agree to publish prominently in their next issue a 
    51        correction and apology in the terms following: 'McDonald's 
    52        a correction': 
    53
    54        "In a recent article entitled 'what is wrong with
    55        McDonald's', we said that McDonald's restaurants were
    56        implicated in the destruction of rainforests in the
    57        production of cheap beef and to provide the raw material
    58        which goes into their paper bags.
    59
    60        As a result of further investigation, we are satisfied that

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