Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called on ns to boycott Woolworths after the supermarket revealed it would no longer sell Day merchandise.
Mr Dutton told 2GB he would ‘advise [ns] very strongly to take your business elsewhere’, describing the controversial decision as ‘an outrage’.
‘It’s up to customers whether they want to go in and buy the product or not… I think people should boycott Woolworths.’
‘s largest supermarket, which also owns Big W, confirmed on Wednesday that any items related to January 26 celebrations will not be stocked on shelves.
A spokesperson claimed demand was no longer there for merchandise, but Mr Dutton said CEO Brad Banducci appeared to be trying to ‘follow in the mold of Alan Joyce’ and impress Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Mr Joyce stepped aside as CEO of Qantas in 2023 amid several controversies, including questions about his close relationship with the PM.
For many First Nations people, Day is regarded as ‘Invasion Day’ or the ‘Day of Mourning’ (pictured, people at a rally against the Voice to Parliament in September)
READ MORE: Will Coles also cancel Day merchandise?
‘Until we get common sense out of a company like Woolworths, I don’t think they should be supported by the public,’ Mr Dutton said.
‘As we saw with Alan Joyce and Qantas, it seems these CEO’s are out to try and please the Prime Minister with these stupid decisions, and it doesn’t make sense to me.
‘For Woolworths to start taking political positions to oppose Day… is against the national spirit. I think most ns just want to go to Woolies, get groceries at the cheapest possible price because most are struggling to pay the bill when they get to the checkout at the moment.’
The Opposition Leader is calling on Mr Banducci to step forward and reverse the decision, while also acknowledging it was a ‘bad call’.
Mr Dutton noted that Woolworths was among a suite of big businesses – including Qantas – to publicly come out in favour of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament during the referendum campaign.
At the time, the supermarket also faced an onslaught of criticism, and the Voice was later defeated, with 60 per cent of ns voting against the proposal.
Fellow Voice critic Matthew Sheahan, who helped lead the No campaign to victory, told Daily Mail is ‘adding insult to injury’ in removing Day merchandise from shelves after the Voice loss.
‘When are the corporate elites who run companies like Woolies going to learn their lesson?’ he said.
‘Instead of easing the cost of living pressure on Aussies, Woolworths sunk $1.55 million into the losing Yes campaign.
‘Now they’re adding insult to injury.’
Mr Sheahan is now campaigning for Day to be ‘protected by law’.
More to come
The retailer said that ‘broader discussions about what January 26 means to different parts of the community’ played a role in the decision