14 January 2024
Dear Editor,
I see where some have defended Corporate Australia’s (in this case Woolworths‘) right to weigh in on social matters such as Australia Day.
What such corporate supports do not acknowledge is Corporate Australia has billions of dollars to influence matters, whereas everyday Aussies have only their one vote to throw any a pollie upsetting them and can only take away their weekly shopping (in this case from Woolworths).
To quite some degree Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci (who before tax takes home close to $8.5 million) could be accused of abusing Australia’s democracy (and also of being uncaring) when publicly alluding to the unsuitability of the 26th of January to celebrate “Australia Day.”
As a multimillionaire, Banducci would (or should) have anticipated the furor he has created. Is it not fair to ask why he did not give Woolworths’ 200,000 nationwide employees the right to a secret ballot before jeopardising their futures (as customer loyalty fell off)?
And did Banducci believe it was below him to poll all his suppliers, not to mention Woolworths shareholders?
Frankly, in these troubled cost-of-living times, what mega-rich Banducci did when throwing doubt on Australia Day was give the little bloke another kick in the guts when all-powerful Woolworths and Banducci went weak at the knees, pandering to the woke folk!
Yours,
Howard Hutchins
Victoria, Australia