“Today’s Weatherill Labor Government deal with independents that will deliver permanent public holiday trading to Adelaide’s CBD is a bad one for the majority of the State,” Liberal Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Rob Lucas said.
“This deal means new part-public holidays will be created between 7pm and midnight on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve which will result in increased costs for all small businesses in every part of the state while only the Adelaide CBD will benefit.
“While the Liberal Party supports the extra trading hours, it does not support the imposition of penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for every South Australian business on the soon-to-be-legislated part-public holidays.
“South Australian small businesses shouldn’t be punished from one end of the State to the other just to benefit traders and businesses in the Adelaide CBD,” Mr Lucas said.