Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today that the Weatherill Government’s crazy shop
trading laws were making us a ‘laughing stock’ around the nation.
The Weatherill Government’s crazy laws ban specialist stores like Bed, Bath N’
Table from selling linen, quilts, pillows and towels today and other public
holidays.
However Mr. Weatherill allows big stores like Ikea, Snooze and Forty Winks to trade
today and sell linen, quilts and pillows!
Retailers like Bed Bath N’ Table and Sheridan have advised the Liberal Party that they
oppose these laws and they would like to be able to trade today and some other
public holidays.
Clearly these laws are unfair and uncompetitive and Mr. Weatherill must explain why he
thinks stores like Ikea should be able to sell these goods but Bed Bath N’
Table are banned from competing.
We have already seen Mr. Weatherill’s crazy shop trading hours requiring Harvey
Norman to install roller doors inside their South Australian stores because
they are banned from selling some of their goods on public holidays.
A Marshall Liberal Government if elected next year will introduce changes to
these crazy Labor laws to allow stores such as Bed Bath N’ Table to trade on
Easter Mondays. These new laws, with a few exceptions, will be based on the
general principle that if traders want to trade, shoppers want to shop and
workers are prepared to work then the shop trading laws should allow trading.
