Myer slammed over NDIS comments

Source: News Limited

Myer CEO Bernie Brookes. Source: news.com.au

MYER boss Bernie Brookes has apologised for comments he made about the Government's proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Yesterday the Myer chief executive warned that the proposed increase to the Medicare levy would hurt sales at its stores.
 
The estimated $350 a year increase to the levy "is something they would have spent with us", Mr Brookes told a Macquarie Investment seminar on Wednesday, Fairfax reported.
 
He was quoted as saying the proposed levy increase was ''not good for our customers and may have an impact".

Mr Brookes apologised in a statement "to those who may have been offended or hurt" by the comments he made.

"To clarify and give substances to comments perhaps taken out of context, we are absolutely supportive of any well constructed support for those with disabilities and that view seems reflected across the community," he said in the statement.

"I want to make it clear that Myer supports the introduction of an NDIS. Like many Australian we support a scheme like the NDIS that will support the needs of individuals, families and carers for those with a disability.

"As a business, we are sensitive to imposts on the consumer by the government as this adds to negative consumer sentiment and that adversely impacts sales, profit and jobs. Ideally we would like any government initiative to be funded within the revenue stream it has, rather than through a new or additional tax take.

"However, I do apologise to those who have taken offence to my comments about an increase in taxes."

The hashtag #Myer became a trending topic on Twitter overnight as the outraged comments from Myer customers rolled in.

"Myer can't afford #NDIS... Meanwhile CEO Bernie Brooks gets $1.8m salary increase," comedian Catherine Deveny tweeted.

User @timbo2002 tweeted: "Apparently Myer is concerned the NDIS will hurt sales. Better they make a profit than people with disability live with dignity."

User @sclark_melbs tweeted: "As a protest they should remove all access ramps and elevators until the disabled stop being so greedy."

Some users threatened to boycott Myer. Images of users cutting up their Myer cards and memes of its Photoshopped logo were retweeted hundreds of times.

#Australia #Auspol @phil_b7 @ozequitist @myer_mystore Good #myer boycott poster. Well done. twitter.com/Phil_B7/status…

 @myer_mystore - a photo of my Myer One card. Even if you apologise for your NDIS comments you've lost my business. twitter.com/carlajd1/statu…

A spokesperson for Myer told news.com.au that it wanted to clarify its comments to emphasise that it supported the NDIS.

"Like everyone we are absolutely supportive of any well constructed support for those with disabilities and that view seems reflected across the community," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"As a business however, we remain sensitive to imposts on the consumer by the Government, for whatever purpose, as this adds to negative consumer sentiment and that adversely impacts sales, profit and jobs.

"Ideally we would like any government initiative to be funded within the revenue stream it has, rather than through a new or additional tax take.

"Thanks for the opportunity to give some substance to comments perhaps taken out of context."

However, customers aren't satisfied with the apology, which was also posted on Myer's Facebook page, and have dubbed it a "non apology apology."

One Twitter user @samedog wrote: "Good to see that @Myer_MyStore have been to the Alan Jones Academy of Non-Apology. #NDIS."

Another Twitter uswer @admpstr wrote: "Read closely, Myer's statement today contains no additional context, no clarification and neither regret nor apology. Just 122 empty words."

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