The panic-buying in Australian supermarkets is reaching truly idiotic proportions. First it was dunny paper, then rice and flour. Then meat shelves were stripped. Then they started clearing Bunnings of seedlings, as if they somehow think they’ll magically grow dirt-food in the next few weeks.
Now, these human plague locusts are fanning out of the cities and into country towns. A few days ago, our local IGA was hit by hoarders in hired buses. The same pattern has been playing out across the country.
The Australian government has had enough. Prime minister Scott Morrison berated panic-buyers and hoarders yesterday. Now Peter Dutton is threatening to “come down on them like a ton of bricks”.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has said a proportion of individuals stripping supermarkets of essential items will be prosecuted by the Australian Federal Police, suggesting but not confirming they are linked to criminal enterprises.
“We will come down on them like a ton of bricks … I believe they are the ones who have created this pattern of hoarding,” Mr Dutton told 2GB.
“They are following the behaviour of people who aren’t purchasing for themselves – they’re doing it for profit, and reasons that are unacceptable.
“If you have photos, or registration numbers, or if you have instances …photos, intelligence or information, I want you to call Crime Stoppers.”
This is what Australia is coming to: coppers in supermarkets.
Mr Dutton spoke as NSW police said the presence of offices [sic] would be ramped up in and around supermarkets in a bid to control hysterical panic buyers stripping shelves bare and causing public incidents[…]
In recent weeks, two women have been charged for brawling over toilet paper in a southwestern Sydney supermarket, while supermarket staff at Lismore were allegedly assaulted by a man and there have been reports of “toilet paper tourists” descending on rural towns to clean out local shops.
Retail workers have also reported cases of abuse by panicked customers.
Photos are also emerging of the bus-raiders clearing out regional towns.
A listener has sent in photos of busloads of people coming to regional supermarkets.
Listener Ben took the photos in front of a Woolworths and says the bus went to Orange, Parkes and Forbes in the one day.
2gb.com/busloads-of-people-caught-supermarket-hopping/
It appears the organised hoarders are beginning in New Zealand, too, with regional towns north of Wellington being hit hard.
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