Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Retail workers: they sell us what we want, they sell us what we need and they do it with a smile—all for a modest wage. I have worked in retail and I understand and have a place in my heart for the work done by the 1.4 million retail workers and their union right across Australia, which is why I was disgusted when I heard the Leader of the Opposition whipping up community outrage over plastic flags and stubby holders. The call to boycott and the accompanying tongue-lashing was irresponsible, created unsafe workplaces and further exposed the nastiness of the opposition leader. Apart from the absurdity of asking 23 million Woolworths shoppers to boycott their 1,250 stores, it put at risk more than 200,000 direct jobs and 20,000 products made by Australian farmers and businesses from across the country and around the world. Moreover, you cannot go out and whip up that kind of fervour and expect there to be no consequences.

Woolies workers, already doing a tough job during the toughest part of the year, were called un-Australian. They were abused and yelled at following the reckless and dangerous words of the opposition leader—abused for simply turning up and doing their job to pay the rent and put food on the table. The politics of division has consequences, and the opposition leader should be ashamed. His party should hold him to account, otherwise this nation will.