Treasurer Wayne Swan says it's just not Christmas if retailer Gerry Harvey isn't whingeing about soft sales.

The co-founder of Harvey Norman has been highly critical of the rise of international online shopping, which he says is threatening Australian jobs and businesses.

Gerry Harvey ... "To call me a whinger when you are poll-driven, that’s just an illusion."

In particular, he is concerned that online purchases under $1000 do not attract a GST, creating an uneven playing field for local retailers.

But now the company has joined the offshore online retailing world by launching a shopping portal, based at a Harvey Norman outlet in Ireland, to sell GST-free computer games to Australian consumers.