Peter Dutton calls on Australians to BOYCOTT Woolworths for extraordinary refusal to sell Australia Day merchandise – telling them to shop elsewhere – and takes a dig at the supermarket’s CEO

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called on Australians to boycott Woolworths after the supermarket revealed it would no longer sell Australia Day merchandise.

Mr Dutton told it 2GB he would ‘advise’ [Australians] very strongly to take your business elsewhere’, describing the controversial decision as ‘a shame’.

“It’s up to the customers whether they want to buy the product or not… I think people should boycott Woolworths.”

Australia’s largest supermarket, which also owns Big W, confirmed on Wednesday that all items associated with the January 26 celebration will not be on shelves.

A spokesman claimed there was no longer demand for merchandise, but Mr Dutton said CEO Brad Banducci appeared to be trying to “follow the mold of Alan Joyce” and impress Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Mr Joyce stepped aside as Qantas CEO in 2023 amid several controversies, including questions about his close relationship with the Prime Minister.

“Until we get the common sense out of a company like Woolworths, I don’t think they should be supported by the public,” Dutton said.

‘As we’ve seen with Alan Joyce and Qantas, it seems these CEOs are out to please the Prime Minister with these stupid decisions, and that doesn’t make sense to me.

“For Woolworths to take political positions to oppose Australia Day… is contrary to the national spirit. “I think most Australians just want to go to Woolies and get their groceries at the lowest price possible because most are currently struggling to pay the bill when they get to the checkout.”

The opposition leader is calling on Mr Banducci to step forward and reverse the decision, while also acknowledging it was a ‘bad decision’.

Mr Dutton noted that Woolworths was among a group of major companies – including Qantas – who publicly came out in support of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament during the referendum campaign.

At the time, the supermarket also faced a barrage of criticism, and was later defeated by The Voice, with 60 percent of Australians voting against the proposal.

Fellow Voice critic Matthew Sheahan, who helped lead the No campaign to victory, told Daily Mail Australia that pulling Australia Day merchandise from shelves after Voice’s loss was “adding insult to injury.”

“When are the corporate elites who run companies like Woolies going to learn their lesson?” he said.

“Rather than ease the pressure on Aussies for livelihoods, Woolworths has poured $1.55 million into the losing Yes campaign.

“Now they’re making it worse.”

Mr Sheahan is now campaigning for Australia Day to be ‘protected by law’.

More to come

The retailer said “broader discussions about what January 26 means for different parts of the community” played a role in the decision