Myer lashed for CEO's disability comments

Myer is facing a backlash as CEO Bernie Brookes said increasing the Medicare levy would hit profits. Source: AAP

MYER has been told to lift disability employment rates after CEO Bernie Brookes weathered a storm of criticism for suggesting a plan to help millions of disabled Australians would damage profits.

The retail boss sparked outrage and threats of a boycott after telling a business conference the planned $350 annual household increase to the Medicare levy "is something they would have spent with us".

The increase, which would part-fund the federal government's planned national insurance care scheme "is not good for our customers and may have an impact", Mr Brookes added.

Myer apologised, but not before suffering a barrage of criticism online.

Disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes was furious about Mr Brookes' comments and demanded Myer employ 10 per cent more disabled people by 2015.

"This would be a real demonstration of Myer's commitment both to people with disability and the broader Australian community," Mr Innes said on a petition he launched on Change.org.

Mr Brookes' comments "demonstrate a lack of support for Australians with disability, half of whom live below the poverty line", he added.

A 2009 Bureau of Statistics report said four million Australians have some type of disability.

Social media users pointed out that many disabled people shop in Myer, with some calling for a store boycott.

"Memo to self: do not spend another buck in a Myer store until (Mr Brookes) delivers a grovelling apology," one person posted to Twitter.

Myer apologised for causing hurt.

"We are very sorry to those who have been hurt by our comments & want to make it very clear that we support the introduction of the NDIS," the company tweeted.

That pledge of support contrasted slightly with a Myer statement posted earlier in the day on Facebook, which offered equivocal support.

"Ideally we would like any government initiative to be funded within the revenue stream it has, rather than through a new or additional tax take," the company said.

Meanwhile NSW Disability Services Minister Andrew Constance issued a challenge of his own - urging Mr Brookes and other business leaders to spend a day with a disabled person and their carers.

Former NSW Labor minister John Della Bosca, now a campaign spokesman for lobby group Every Australian Counts, said the disability care scheme made economic sense.

"There is a fundamental commercial argument here," he said, adding that more disabled people could be in the workforce, paying GST, consuming and paying income tax.

Treasurer Wayne Swan said Mr Brookes' comments were disappointing.

"I'm very disappointed that these kinds of comments distort the proper debate that should accompany such a significant issue," he told AAP.

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey on Wednesday made similar remarks, when he said the levy increase would damage already fragile household confidence.

Mr Swan said Mr Hockey was now out in the cold, given the coalition had changed its mind and agreed to support a levy.

"Their change in position has left Joe Hockey exposed for saying the levy would damage the economy," he said.

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