Ouch! Woolworths excludes Tasmania from Australia Day merchandise
Woolworths has come under fire for selling Australia Day merchandise featuring a map of Australia – without Tasmania.
Our most southern state was excluded from the map, which featured on a cap along side the union jack and Southern Cross.
Tasmanians were not impressed by the exclusion, with one woman describing it as ‘cruel’.
“We should be on the map. We’re all one country aren’t we?” a man told 7 News.
“I always find it offensive,” a woman said, referring to numerous similar occurrences.
When contacted by 7 News, Woolworths produced the following statement:
“Woolworths is aware of the issue and in the process of withdrawing the product from our supermarket shelves.”
The Apple Isle was left off the map of Australia that featured on the swimsuits of athletes competing in the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
“I hope that it was an oversight and not deliberate. Tasmania also disappeared from Olympic medals and posters for Baz Luhrmann’s movie Australia, so it’s very disappointing that the same oversight has happened a number of times,” Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said at the time.
In 1982, Tasmania was left out when Commonwealth Games athletes formed a giant map of Australia at the opening ceremony in Brisbane.
News break – January 19