Steve Price didn’t leave anyone in any doubt of his views on the news that Woolworths will not be stocking Australia Day merch.
The Project host said the supermarket chain should “b*gger off and let us get on with Australia Day”.
Not content with one controversial remark, Price continued “I mean you would think they would have learned their lesson with The Voice campaign where 60 per cent of Australians said no to that and all these big corporates were tossing money into there and running ads”.
Price’s remark was prompted by the controversial news that Woolworths will not be selling Australia Day merchandise in its stores.
On Wednesday the supermarket announced that it would not be selling additional Australia Day-themed merch for this year’s public holiday.
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It said that it had seen a “gradual decline” in demand for the product in recent years due to the political discussions happening around the January 26 date.
Despite supermarkets such as Coles reassuring customers they would be selling merchandise, Price was indignant at the suggestion he might not be able to buy an Australia Day hat.
“Now Woollies come out and says if I want to buy a bucket hat in the shape of the Australian flag, I can’t. Well that’s just dumb”.
“But don’t you think it’s a reflection of changing attitudes?” presenter Georgie Tunny asks, to which he replies “Surely I don’t”.
Tunny then asks whether Australia Day should be moved to a different day.
“Until the government says it’s not, it is. And there are millions of Australians who actually reflect on that day and enjoy it. New Australians, who’ve got their citizenship,’ Price said.
‘You’ve got 80 dumb councils in Victoria refusing to even make Victorians who are new migrants to this country Australians on that day.’
Fellow host Hamish Macdonald then asked what Price thinks of Peter Dutton’s calls to boycott Woolworths.
Dutton described the decision made by Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci as an “outrage”.
“I think it’s up to customers whether they want to go in and buy the product or not,” he told 2GB.
“If they don’t want to celebrate Australia Day, well that’s a decision for them, but I think people should boycott Woolworths.
“That’s just Dutton playing politics. No one’s going to boycott Woolies over this,” Price replied.
“Woolworths is a South African company by the way, and Aldi’s German,” he went on. “They should b*gger off and let us get on with Australia Day”.
“I’m proud to be Australian, thank you.”
Price is no stranger to controversial remarks, last month he made headlines after calling Kyle Sandilands a “grubby buffoon”.
