Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 28
1
2 Q. I think, to remind you, there was a full page advertisement
3 in a number of the national papers, with a picture of,
4 I think it was an armadillo, saying: "Contrary to rumour,
5 we do not put these in our burgers" or something. Do you
6 remember that?
7 A. I remember it but I do not remember the words. If it
8 was what I think it was, it may have related to the quality
9 of our beef but I have to see it to remember.
10
11 Q. There is also this tray liner which you might recognise?
12 A. I am sorry, my eyes are not that good. I cannot quite
13 see what you have got there (Handed).
14
15 Q. Do you remember that?
16 A. I do, yes.
17
18 Q. That was a tray liner which was in all the stores?
19 A. Well, there was certainly a tray liner. Whether it was
20 in all stores or not, I am not sure.
21
22 Q. So the point is you are perfectly capable of putting
23 forward your point of view, which you do, to respond to
24 criticism?
25 A. Well, I do not know that this was a pure response to
26 criticism. It was a statement of fact keeping with the
27 times, the environment and CFC gasses. What we had done in
28 planning our part of technology allowing us to change was
29 talked about here. Working with the local community. Lord
30 knows, we have been doing that around the world for 40
31 years. That is nothing new. It did not respond to
32 anything.
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: But the question, whatever may be the answer
35 in relation to that tray liner, was: You, that is
36 presumably your company or the McDonald's Corporation, are
37 perfectly capable of putting forward your point of view,
38 which you do, in response to criticism. Is there any
39 difficulty with that? It would surprise me if any large
40 Corporation did not respond to criticism from time to time?
41 A. My point, your Lordship, was that I do not know that
42 this was ----
43
44 Q. Forget that. Is there any difficulty with the proposition
45 that from time to time you respond to criticism?
46 A. No. People say something and I respond.
47
48 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Where are we going to on this line of
49 questioning?
50
51 MR. MORRIS: We are trying to establish the Plaintiff's
52 motivation for distributing 300,0000 leaflets and press
53 statements attacking us as liars.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why not concentrate on that?
56
57 MR. MORRIS: Part of it is: They are clearly capable and have
58 responded to criticism through their part of their massive
59 advertising burdens.
60
