Day 076 - 18 Jan 95 - Page 38
1 took it as evidence of the kind of thing we were having to
2 put up with.
3
4 Q. Have no fear, I do not assert you have a grudge against
5 McDonald's. You have come here because you have a campaign
6 against environment/index.html">litter in the street.
7 A. Right.
8
9 Q. I ask you again. If you want to get what you perceive to
10 be a serious problem "caused", the best thing is to have
11 evidence and to show it to people, is it not?
12 A. Yes, or raise it at meetings which I did.
13
14 Q. You know that you have a right under the law to stimulate
15 the Council to do the job if it is not being done, do you
16 not?
17 A. Yes.
18
19 Q. Was the legal action which was contemplated, I forget when,
20 by the Smith Street Residents Association -- maybe it was
21 the Royal Hospital Ward Association, I cannot remember --
22 was that contemplated against the Council or against
23 McDonald's?
24 A. It was to get legal advice, but it referred to the bits
25 that had been painted out, not to environment/index.html">litter.
26
27 Q. I see, things like smells and noise and stuff like that?
28 A. Which we do not mention.
29
30 Q. Late night closing, car doors and so on. But you know of
31 your rights at law, do you not, under the Environmental
32 Protection Act to go to the Council and say, "This is a
33 serious nuisance, you are not discharging your duties under
34 the Act, get on and do it otherwise we will take you to
35 court", you know about that?
36 A. Yes, but that was not the major issue.
37
38 Q. I see. Can we really say that this question of environment/index.html">litter,
39 though no doubt in some sense is a concern, is not a major
40 issue? You say it was not the major issue?
41 A. It was not a major issue with Royal Avenue and Royal
42 Hospital Wards, because each street has its own problems
43 and priorities. We happen to have some other ones than
44 McDonald's.
45
46 Q. I think you are telling us that the problem with environment/index.html">litter in
47 Smith Street has persisted, sometimes as bad as that,
48 sometimes not so bad, since the middle of 1992 or
49 thereabouts, is that right?
50 A. Thereabouts.
51
52 Q. Why then was it that not until 1994 you first went to
53 McDonald's to make a complaint about it?
54 A. Because I have got better things to do, if I may say
55 so.
56
57 Q. Again, this is again not an enquiry made from idle
58 curiosity. When you are sitting at your desk writing your
59 military history, do you break for lunch?
60 A. No.