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
