Ex-ACT DPP Shane Drumgold pans Woolworths, shoppers over Australia Day merchandise backflip

The former ACT top prosecutor, who was recently cleared of misconduct claims over his 2022 prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann, criticised Woolworths over its plan to reintroduce Australia Day merchandise to stores in 2025.

Shane Drumgold has taken to social media to pan Woolworths over its plans to reintroduce Australia Day merchandise in 2025. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

His words and conduct in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case were the subject of an independent inquiry, but now ex-top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has turned to LinkedIn to share his thoughts on social justice issues.

The former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions resigned from the plum position in August 2023 after an inquiry, led by former Queensland solicitor general Walter Sofronoff, made misconduct findings against him over his handling of criminal proceedings against Mr Lehrmann, who was charged with the alleged rape of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

Drumgold’s lawyers challenged the misconduct findings in court, but were ultimately only successful in having one struck off.

The trial against Mr Lehrmann was abandoned due to juror misconduct and Mr Drumgold decided against a retrial because of concerns over Ms Higgins’ mental health.

Mr Drumgold has always maintained he acted appropriately throughout the trial and has since been cleared of misconduct by the ACT Bar Association.

Shane Drumgold pictured during the 2022 trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who was charged with sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. Lehrmann’s trial was abandoned over juror misconduct. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Appleton.

Now working as a private defence barrister in the ACT, Mr Drumgold took to LinkedIn this week to criticise Woolworths over its plans to bring back Australia Day merchandise this year.

The supermarket’s arrangement, which will see shops stock flags and other items in store, as well as an expanded range of products online, is a reversal of its stance in 2024, when it decided to drop the range due to “lack of sales”.

The decision triggered protests across the country, including a call from opposition leader Peter Dutton to boycott Woolworths.

However, the supermarket made a surprise announcement at the start of the year that it would reintroduce the range ahead of the January 26 celebrations.

Mr Drumgold criticised the decision - and those who will take advantage of the about-face.

“What a relief that all the outraged self-proclaimed patriots can now buy foreign made coloured polyester from a national supermarket chain - on their way to get drunk in celebration of the day a British Monarchy colonised the island we all live on,” Mr Drumgold wrote on a post accompanying a news article outlining the changes.

It is not the first time Mr Drumgold has used the platform to advocate for Indigenous Australians, having previously written about Closing the Gap and The Voice referendum.

Mr Drumgold, pictured in 2023, is now at the bar as a defence barrister. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Dylan Robinson

When contacted by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Drumgold doubled down on the message contained in his post.

He said he backed the changing of Australia Day from January 26 and labelled it “ironic” that products designed to celebrate the designated national day were entirely foreign made.

“They’re cheap products you can buy from a $2 shop,” he said.

“I think it’s ironic we import foreign made goods to represent a day that is advanced as Australia Day.”

Meanwhile, the former top prosecutor also used his LinkedIn profile to disparage the use of the term “pub test” in Australian political vernacular, citing experience from his own childhood to claim the phrase was outdated and should be replaced.

“Like many kids in 1970s Australia, some of my scariest moments were spent sitting in a car outside of a pub, waiting for my father to come out - trying to anticipate his mood and how it would interpret the range of fresh ideas he had been gifted by his drinking companions,” he wrote.

“I think political spin doctors need to update their cultural metaphors.”