The Project's Lisa Wilkinson blasts Bunnings anti-mask 'Karen'

Lisa Wilkinson has blasted Aussie shoppers who are refusing to wear a protective mask to curb the spread of coronavirus when asked to by businesses, describing the process as a ‘waste of time’.

The Sunday Project host,’s comments came on the back of footage of a Victorian woman aggressively confronting Bunnings staff members after being asked to wear a mask over the weekend.

The host spoke to government COVID response advisor Professor Mary Louise McLaws about the incident, which went viral after being filmed and shared online.

“You can only shake your head,” the host said upon watching the footage, going on to deliver a strong message of support for the staff, and explaining that legally, they were well within their rights to demand mask compliance.

“Most of us have seen that footage of the pandemic denier having a very strong discussion — mostly on her side — with the staff at Bunnings,” she said in the impassioned speech.

“We have to say first up, those staff at Bunnings were extraordinary. They were patient, polite, they were professional, they never lost focus the whole time”.

She went on to explain staff had ‘every right’ to deny the woman entry under Australian law.

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“Australian law says that private landowners or occupiers can take reasonable steps to protect themselves, their employees and people on their property,” she explained.

“So it would be legal for business including cafes and supermarkets to make it a condition of entry that customers wear a mask and sanitise their hands.

“End of story. They have every right”.

Wider anti-coronavirus conspiracy theory sparks ‘Karen’ incidents across the nation

The footage itself was filmed by a Victorian woman, who has since been dubbed ‘Karen from Bunnings’ online, though she avoided a fine from police after she cited a medical condition that made wearing a mask difficult.

She appears to be an adherent of a so-called “sovereign citizen” community, a loose group of people online who downplay the existence of the novel coronavirus and engage with far-fetched conspiracy theories.

Her actions prompted the condemnation of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews who described such protests as ‘selfish’ after the woman went viral online.

Lisa concluded the segment by calling the protests against masks in shops and public areas, “such a waste of time and energy”.

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