Billionaire retailer Gerry Harvey has angrily denied he is against charitable giving, saying his comment that “You are helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason” was taken out of context.
The Sydney Morning Herald
Mr Harvey’s landmark new paper on welfare reform is entitled Harvey Norman, your cooling specialist: Beat the heat deals.
The Harvey Norman chief made it clear that he would support homeless charities provided that donations could be given on a “no deposit, no interest, no repayments until 2010” basis.
Harvey Norman is one of Australia’s largest charities, encouraging people to pay more for their computer and electrical goods by purchasing unnecessary high-margin accessories. These cables, bags, batteries, tapes, cards, surge protectors and extended warranties are akin to a pink ribbon or red nose: the donor displays them prominently to show that they have given money to Gerry Harvey they didn’t have to—all out of the goodness of their heart.