Steve Price has criticized Australia’s business community for abandoning the national holiday, declaring: ‘I’m proud to be Australian’.
The Project host hit out on Thursday over the announcement that Woolworths and Aldi, along with Kmart, would no longer be selling Australia Day merchandise.
His comments came after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for a boycott of Woolworths over the decision.
“Here we go again, more woke lectures from corporate Australia,” an outraged Price said of the “stupid” ban.
“I mean, you think they would have learned their lesson during the (Indigenous) Voice campaign, where 60 percent of Australians said no to that.
Steve Price has criticized Australia’s business community for abandoning the national holiday, declaring: ‘I’m proud to be Australian’
Celebrating Australia Day has become a divisive issue in recent years, especially among younger generations. In the photo: a woman celebrates Australia Day
“And all these big companies were throwing money at it and running ads. Now Wollies comes out and says if I want to go to Big W and buy a bucket hat in the shape of an Australian flag, I can’t.
“Well, that’s just stupid.”
Celebrating Australia Day has become a divisive issue in recent years, especially among younger generations.
A growing number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians regard January 26 – the day the first fleet of British ships landed – as Invasion Day.
Co-host Georgie Tunny said supermarkets’ new stance may be a “reflection of changing attitudes”.
“Well, obviously I don’t. No. Australia Day is Australia Day on January 26,” Price replied.
Tunny asked for the national holiday to be moved to another date, which further infuriated Price.
‘Until the government says it isn’t, it is. And there are millions of Australians who actually remember and enjoy that day. New Australians, who have their citizenship,” Price said.
“You’ve got 80 stupid councils in Victoria refusing to make even Victorians who are new migrants to this country Australians on that day.”
Tunny tried to calm the tense situation by pointing out that “it’s such a divisive day. We always end up having this conversation.”
But Price had no intention of softening things down, saying: “This is making the division even worse because of what stupid Woolworths is doing.”
Their fellow presenter Hamish Macdonald then asked Price what he thought of Mr Dutton’s call for a boycott of Woolworths, which he pointed out is one of Australia’s largest employers.
Price’s fellow presenters Hamish Macdonald (left) and Georgie Tunny (right) tried to calm him down, but he only got angrier
“That’s just Dutton playing politics. No one is going to boycott Woolies over this,” Price replied.
He pointed out that none of the companies banning Australia Day merchandise are Australian-owned.
“By the way, Woolworths is a South African company and Aldi is a German company,” he says. “They need to hurry up and let us get on with Australia Day.
‘I’m proud to be Australian, thank you.’