Day 002 - 29 Jun 94 - Page 39
1 and genuine opinion, then really what we are saying is
they should withdraw that from the case really because it
2 is oppressive and an abuse of procedure to prosecute if
they do not genuinely think it is defamatory. If there is
3 some minor points of dispute of exactly how many animals
were outside or inside, I do not see really that is
4 something for litigation.
5 The next box is: "What's your poison?" which is about a
food poisoning incidents. This, obviously, I have already
6 talked about.
7 On the animal side we are calling expert witnesses about
rearing and slaughter conditions. All of our expert
8 witness are on animal conditions, which are three, and
have been refused site visits by McDonald's or have been
9 denied site visits by their suppliers; whereas McDonald's
experts have been able to make full statements and,
10 therefore, our experts will be disadvantaged when it comes
to cross-examination because of that denial.
11
It will be our case that McDonald's made no serious
12 attempt to convince their suppliers or, at minimum, to
make their facilities available to our experts and,
13 therefore, we have been seriously disadvantaged in that
respect in putting forward a balanced point of view. We
14 have had problems with other experts. I am sure you are
aware that there have been problems over site visits in
15 general, expert site visits.
16 We do feel that it is important that McDonald's can always
reconsider their position, to allow our experts equal
17 access to the facilities that their experts have in making
accurate expert reports.
18
Just to point out, one visit has already been made.
19 Mr. Phillip Pearson has made visits to local stores. That
is on the employment conditions side. I will come on to
20 that in a minute.
21 There was a sentence in that box about growth promoting
hormone drugs and pesticides, residues in feed, to be
22 considered. On the growth promoting side, McDonalds'
claimed policy is they do not accept beef that has been
23 subject to growth promoters, but they have also admitted
in a letter that, in fact, some of their cattle are
24 subject to growth promoters, although they claim they are
not hormone growth promoters. But the effect is the same;
25 the point is that animals are artificially -- their bulk
has increased through drugs.
26
Again it is part of our general case in all this leaflet
27 that the world is being turned into a factory by
corporations such as McDonald's, so that animal
28 conditions, forests and even employees are just turned
into profit making machines for the already immensely
29 wealthy financial institutions such as McDonald's.
30 "What's it like working for McDonald's?" is the next
section. There is a dispute between the parties over the
