NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Covid 19 coronavirus: Video of woman who refuses to wear mask in Bunnings goes viral

By Shae McDonald
news.com.au·
26 Jul, 2020 06:44 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The woman's rant has gone viral. Photo / File

The woman's rant has gone viral. Photo / File

Outrageous footage of a woman refusing to wear a mask inside an Australian Bunnings store has gone viral.

It shows her walking into a store, believed to be in southeast Melbourne, where she was immediately stopped by staff and asked if she had a mask.

"Well it's clear I don't and you are not authorised to ask me or question me about it," she says in the video.

The woman is then asked if she wants to speak to the manager, who tells her she needs a medical certificate if she wants to continue into the store.

"I actually don't need a medical certificate," she says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"You're discriminating against me."

When another staff member tells her the mask is a condition of entry, she lashes out.

"That's discrimination and I can have you sued personally for discriminating against me as a woman," she says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's an unlawful condition of entry, therefore that exposes you, personally and Bunnings to being sued for discrimination because it is in breach of the 1948 Charter of Human Rights to discriminate against men and women."

Despite being asked to stop filming several times, she refuses.

The video, which goes for three-and-a-half minutes, ends when a second woman joins the one filming, having picked up an item in store.

When asked if that is all, the woman filming retorts with: "No, no, no, we're going to have a wander".

Discover more

Travel

'Clap if you want': Woman booted off flight for not wearing mask

24 Jul 02:42 AM
World

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says 'anti-vaxxers are nuts'

25 Jul 05:15 AM
New Zealand|crime

'No family should go through this': Isolation absconder defends hotel escape

25 Jul 08:48 PM
World

UK's 'kneejerk' move: Tourists must quarantine on return home from Spain

25 Jul 07:57 PM

It comes as Victoria recorded one of its highest coronavirus cases on Sunday, with 459 people testing positive and 10 deaths.

Workers tried to convince the woman she had to wear a mask to be allowed in the story. Photo / Supplied
Workers tried to convince the woman she had to wear a mask to be allowed in the story. Photo / Supplied

Commenting on the video on Facebook, Jessica Weiks described her as a "f***ing Karen".

"It's not your right Bunnings is not a public place they have their own conditions of entry exactly the same as when you to into a Big W store and they have a sign saying your bags will be checked as a condition of entry, it's not law it's their company's condition of entry," she wrote.

Bunnings chief operating officer Deb Poole described the woman's behaviour as "completely unacceptable" and said the safety of customers and staff was the chain's highest priority.

"We won't tolerate abuse against our team members and we have security at all metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire stores as support.

"Our team will also alert the police should they encounter any difficulties."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Oh man, I just saw 10 seconds of Karen at Bunnings and had to turn it off. I honestly can't stand these anti maskers.
It's not hard, nor particularly uncomfortable to wear one.
Stop being a selfish self entitled twat. It's not forever#MaskUpMelbourne

— Higgo (@Higgo74) July 26, 2020

**cue Bunnings theme**
“Anti-maskers... Where lowest IQ’s are just the beginning” #CovidVic #COVID19au

— Leon Sjogren (@Leonsjogren) July 26, 2020

"That's your opinion of the law, that's not necessarily how it works in the state of Victoria." pic.twitter.com/mmV73KD246

— cam smith (@sexenheimer) July 26, 2020

Further videos posted online show the woman arguing with police in the car park after the incident in store.

According to reports, the woman eventually showed police a medical certificate which made her exempt from having to wear a mask.

At the end of the discussion, a police member told the woman "Okay, you are free to go."

The fine for not wearing a face mask in the Melbourne and Mitchell Shire council areas is A$200 ($213).

Victoria Police said they could not comment on specific cases.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Suzy Cato on overcoming redundancy, helping children, and why she's never met her biological father

21 Jun 07:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

21 Jun 06:00 PM
Lifestyle

'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

21 Jun 05:00 PM

Help for those helping hardest-hit

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Suzy Cato on overcoming redundancy, helping children, and why she's never met her biological father

Suzy Cato on overcoming redundancy, helping children, and why she's never met her biological father

21 Jun 07:00 PM

The beloved children's entertainer has been entertaining young Kiwis for three decades.

Premium
Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

21 Jun 06:00 PM
'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

21 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
'Two small boys left fatherless and their mother cast as a scarlet woman'

'Two small boys left fatherless and their mother cast as a scarlet woman'

20 Jun 10:00 PM
Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi
sponsored

Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP