Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 27
1 press conference."
2
3 That is something you have put in your own statement. You
4 heard it from the communications department. Did you ask
5 them where they got that from?
6 A. No. I thought it was totally consistent with the
7 information of a press release nature that had been given
8 out. Before that, I thought really nothing of it.
9
10 Q. Well, it was incorrect, but if you do not know anything
11 about it then -- Do you personally actually know of any
12 press conference that we have held?
13 A. I did not attend any, no.
14
15 Q. Have you actually heard of any?
16 A. I heard there was one intended. Whether it took place
17 or not, I do not know. I do know press releases were made
18 and conferences and releases sort of go together.
19
20 Q. Then carrying on reading from No. 2: "Demonstrate
21 McDonald's is open and friendly and has nothing to hide."
22
23 The third one is: "To position McDonald's as a victim."
24
25 Again, you were trying to draw public sympathy away from us
26 to McDonald's with the aim of trying to discredit us,
27 dissuade people from donating money to enable us to fight
28 this case and so on; were you not?
29 A. No. I have never ever said anywhere at any time, nor
30 have any of my people said anywhere at any time: "You
31 should not give money to these people". That is just not
32 true. People can do with their money that which they
33 choose. I have no part to play in that. You are just
34 imagining.
35
36 Q. How can a 26 billion dollar a year Corporation who chose to
37 bring a case against two unwaged (at that time) Defendants
38 be a victim?
39 A. Ms. Steel, the leaflet, as I have said on countless
40 occasions, speaks for itself. It is untrue. It is
41 intended to damage. In your own Aims and Objectives
42 document you speak of trying to "smash McDonald's". It
43 speaks totally for itself.
44
45 Q. You had a US$1.5 billion advertising budget with which to
46 counter that?
47 A. No. Advertising and legal expenses and countering this
48 are two totally separate issues.
49
50 Q. In 1990, you did in fact produce a series of advertisements
51 in the national press dealing with some of the issues which
52 were covered in the leaflet; did you not?
53 A. I am sorry, you will have to show me what we did in
54 1990; I cannot recall.
55
56 Q. You do not remember?
57 A. Well, if you show them to me I may be able to, but I do
58 not know in the plethora of 1990 in 6 passing years I am
59 not sure what we did in those 12 calendar months, I am
60 sorry.
