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

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