I run a supermarket and I've had to take drastic action because Aussies don't want to work and just want to sit on Centrelink
The outspoken director of the family-run supermarket chain Drakes Supermarkets, John-Paul 'JP' Drake, opened up about the challenges plaguing the retail sector during a sweeping appearance on the 2 Worlds Collide podcast on Thursday.
His father, Roger Drake, founded the independent supermarket chain in 1974, which has since grown to more than 60 stores across South Australia and Queensland.
Mr Drake said the chain, which employs more than 6,000 people, has been forced to import workers from overseas despite efforts to attract local employees.
He gave the example of Drake's distribution centre in Edinburgh North, Adelaide, where he claimed the unemployment rate was as high as 23 per cent.
'At my distribution centre... I've got a gym there, they get a full canteen with a free lunch, all this stuff and it's not enough to attract the locals to get a job, to work, to make a difference in the community,' he told podcast host Sam Bamford.
'You know why?' he said, adding: 'We pay enough out on Centrelink and benefits for the people that maybe don't deserve it and that is the problem.'
Mr Drake said the issue, which affects the retail sector as a whole, had encouraged him to 'import' foreign workers who are more willing to work.
'I'm importing people from Vanuatu because I can't get workers to work at my site,' he said.
'They're unbelievable, their work ethic is amazing... Every single one of them, they act as a family, as a tribe together and they work as a team.
'English is not the best but, mate, they are smiling, they're happy.'
While it is a commonly held belief that generous welfare entitlements disincentivise people from finding work, establishing a clear link has proven challenging for researchers.
Research by non-partisan think tank e61 Institute, however, found that the $550-a-fortnight JobSeeker Coronavirus Supplement reduced job hunting by about 19 per cent.
A 10 per cent increase in unemployment benefits would lead to a 2.1 per cent decline in job-finding rates, the research published earlier this year suggested.
Mr Drake laid particular blame at the feet of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which he said allowed people to 'make up anything to get anything'.
'I got in so much trouble when I mentioned this because there are people that need benefits, need handouts, I totally understand that,' he said.
'But when anyone can get $550 a fortnight... and you have a house load of people and you combine your money together... you don't need to f***ing work.
'And sell a few drugs and happy days.'
Treasury forecasts spending on the NDIS, with annual costs projected to surpass $64billion in five years, will overtake spending on the aged pension within a decade.
While not all agreed with Mr Drake's criticisms - including a prominent NDIS Facebook community which called for a boycott of his stores following the interview - concerns over the NDIS' growth are widespread.
The scheme's ballooning price tag is expected to take centre stage at the federal government's economic roundtable's budget sustainability and tax reform session on Thursday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday raised concerns with its growth, claiming its pool of recipients had outstretched its initial design.
'We need to make sure the system's sustainable,' he told Sky News.
'The NDIS was never envisaged that 40 per cent of the population would be on it. It's about giving people support who need it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Why shopper is furious after spotting 'huge problem' with Aldi trolleys - but not everyone agrees
A disgruntled customer has sparked debate after spotting a 'problem' with Aldi 's shopping trolleys outside a store. The customer took particular issue with the supermarket after noticing there were hardly any smaller shopping trolleys available during a visit to a store in Victoria. He shared a picture on social media showing three rows of larger 212L carts, each measuring 1.1m high, lined up in the bay - but no smaller versions in sight. 'ALDI WHY!? Every Aldi I go to has hundreds of large trolleys and only three small trolleys? Why is it so back to front?' the furious shopper said. The man explained that he avoids using larger trolleys due to his back problems. 'I don't want to hurt my back any further,' he said. The irritated shopper speculated that the smaller trolleys had disappeared because other customers were abandoning them along their walk home. It's understood there are no current plans for Aldi to phase out smaller trolleys. His post was met with dozens of comments, but not everyone agreed with him. 'Your back issues are not Aldi's problem,' one said. 'You can fit a small trolley's worth of goods into a big trolley, but you can't fit a big trolley's worth into a small trolley... therefore, big trolleys have more utility?' another pointed out. 'If small and big trolleys are troubling you, you may be missing the bigger picture here. Aldi has a system that utilises trolleys all the way through the shopping process to maximise efficiency. Those efficiencies result in lower prices for you. Just use the bigger trolley and get on with enjoying life,' one added. Meanwhile, another shopper weighed in, saying the man was lucky to have trolleys at all as their local Aldi store's bay is always empty during peak shopping hours. 'Not sure when they collect them because even on a Saturday morning, the trolley bay is empty from Friday night shopping,' they added. Back in June 2022, an Aldi spokesperson told Daily Mail the smaller trolleys were designed to provide shoppers - particularly pregnant mums and elderly people - with 'greater convenience'. 'We recognise that customers are looking for greater convenience when they visit our stores, as it's almost impossible not to pick up the excellent value products on offer,' the Aldi spokesperson said at the time. 'That's why we're introducing smaller trolleys across all our locations, so our customers can more efficiently pick up products while doing smaller grocery shops.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Morrisons fights to stay in top five: Struggling grocer now taking in just £4m a week more than Lidl
Morrisons is now taking in just £4million a week more than Lidl – setting the scene for it to be overtaken by its discount rival. The beleaguered supermarket has already been elbowed out of the top four by Aldi and is close to being eclipsed by its other German budget rival. Industry figures yesterday revealed that Lidl is almost neck and neck with Morrisons after sales rose 10.7 per cent to just under £3billion in the 12 weeks to August 10. Sales at Morrisons were just £48million higher over the period having risen by only 0.9 per cent, according to the report by research group Worldpanel. And while Lidl's share of the market has jumped from 7.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent in the past year, Morrisons has seen its slice fall from 8.7 per cent to 8.4 per cent. Analysts said they are confident Lidl will overtake Morrisons in the coming weeks as it presses ahead with a rollout of new stores. Clive Black, retail analyst at Shore Capital, said: 'Lidl and Morrisons are neck and neck when it comes to UK market share. The German discounter will take the lead in the near future because it is opening new stores while Morrisons is not and it has stronger underlying trading momentum.' Lidl plans to open a total of 40 sites by the end of the year, and it seeks to reach 1,000 stores over the next few years. It also has a 'very strong private label that it has curated through single ownership with a long-term view for many years', Black added. Morrisons has lost sales and market share to rivals since its takeover by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in a debt-fuelled £7billion deal in October 2021. Black said the takeover 'stopped decent pre-existing trading momentum and materially burdened the supermarket with debt servicing costs that have, in reality, starved the business of the resources necessary to allow it to compete more effectively'. After Labour piled on costs for retailers at the Budget last year, Morrisons cut more than 350 jobs in March.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Lidl to set overtake Morrisons as Britain's fifth biggest supermarket as shoppers turn to cheaper food
LIDL is due to overtake Morrisons as Britain's fifth biggest supermarket — as shoppers turn to cheaper food to offset higher costs. The latest data shows that the discount option makes up 8.3 per cent of the grocery market against Morrisons' 8.4 per cent, analysts Worldpanel revealed yesterday. And Lidl increased its sales by 10.7 per cent in the three months to August — more than ten times that at Morrisons, whose sales rose by just 0.9 per cent in the same period. The German retailer is now the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK, alongside Ocado. Meanwhile, at Asda, sales were down 2.6 per cent on a year ago, and the Co-Op's fell by 3.2 per cent. Recent data also brought good news for shoppers as supermarket inflation fell slightly in August, down to five per cent. But Fraser McKevitt, Worldpanel's head of retail and consumer insight, warned: 'We're still well past the point at which price rises really start to bite and consumers are continuing to adapt their behaviour to make ends meet.' He said cost pressures were continuing to hit the High Street, noting a decline in eating out in casual restaurants lately. But shoppers still appear to want their treats, with branded groceries seeing more sales growth this month than cheaper own-label options. COVID BOOSTER THE economy recovered from the pandemic better than thought, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. Revised data, based on how gross domestic product is calculated, showed the economy was 2.2 per cent larger at the end of 2023 than its peak shortly before Covid. It had been reported at 1.9 per cent. The ONS added: 'The long-term pattern of growth is broadly unchanged.' THE final coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II's portrait are to enter circulation from today, The Royal Mint has announced. More than 30million new £1 coins will be released this week, including more than 23million featuring the late Queen. The release also includes 170,000 £1 coins bearing the official portrait of King Charles III. Royal Mint director Rebecca Morgan said: 'This represents a pivotal moment.' THE HEAT'S TURNING UP MILLIONS will see their energy bills rise to £1,737 in October when the price cap rises by one per cent, industry analysts predict. An annual rise of £17 has been predicted by Cornwall Insight ahead of Ofgem's official confirmation next Wednesday. The latest forecast reverses the consultants' previous forecast in July that bills would instead drop by one per cent due to easing tensions in the Middle East. It said its forecast reflected changes to schemes like the expansion of the Warm Home Discount which gives struggling homes a £150 grant towards their bill.
