The Shoppies’ Union should allow Premier Weatherill to implement all of the Liberal Opposition’s retail trading policy rather than just a small section of it, Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Rob Lucas said today.
A senior government source has confirmed the head of the Shoppies’ Union, Peter Malinauskas, has agreed to allow Premier Weatherill to announce a once-off relaxation of the government’s increasingly unpopular trading hours for the Christmas/New Year period.
Instead of five non-trading/shopping days over the Christmas/New Year period as provided for under Labor policy, Mr Weatherill will announce it will only be four days generally and either two or three days for the Adelaide CBD.
“This will mean families in suburban shopping areas such as Marion, Tea Tree Gully, Munno Para and Noarlunga will still have four non-trading days over Christmas/New Year,” Mr Lucas said.
“Most other states have only one non-trading day over this period, which is Christmas Day.”
Liberal Party policy is to deregulate shop trading hours’ policy and only have 3½ non-trading days all year including one non-trading day over the Christmas/New Year period.
“The Shoppies’ Union will not allow Mr Weatherill to introduce permanent changes to trading hours legislation because they want to retain the current process where general exemptions have to be negotiated with them,” Mr Lucas said.
“The current policy in South Australia is outdated, uncompetitive and increasingly unpopular amongst South Australian families.
“It is time for Mr Weatherill to show some strength and stand up to the power of the Shoppies’ Union by agreeing to all of the Liberal Opposition’s policy rather than one small part.”