It seems that a bill of this nature has become something of a hardy perennial. By our count, this is something like the eighth members' bill to come before the House since 1996 proposing to amend the shop trading hours Act. As a former owner and operator of two retail stores, I can understand, and even have some degree of sympathy for, those who would wish to open their doors for business on 1 more day of every year. The case for allowing this to happen on Easter Sunday, however, is far from compelling, and the Green MPs, collectively and individually, will be opposing the progress of this Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 Repeal (Easter Sunday Local Choice) Amendment Bill. I bought my first store in 1980, which happened to be the year that Saturday trading became allowable and was introduced generally, whereas formerly retail shops for the most part were obliged to be closed from Friday evening through to Monday morning. Clearly, with more lenience some economic and social benefits have flowed from those extended opening hours. But one must get to the point where one questions how much is enough, or indeed, how much is too much. It is my view that if a business cannot be viable on the 361½ days of the year that most shops can currently legally open, then one must question whether 1 more day will really add sufficient value to that business to warrant the change.
This bill proposes to allow territorial authorities to determine by way of by-laws whether retail shops in their districts or parts of their districts may be open on Easter Sunday. This proposed by-law mechanism would not require territorial authorities to consult with their communities, as they would currently need to do under Part 6 of the Local Government Act 2002. Nor do the provisions of this bill propose any safeguards protecting workers from being required by their employers to work in retail shops whose management decides that they will open on Easter Sunday, other than perhaps for a few employees who may be in the position to be able to negotiate some specific arrangement into their employment agreements. Close to 270,000 people are employed in the retail sector in New Zealand, most of them on very modest rates of pay—indeed, many of them are paid scarcely above the minimum wage—so there is quite a lot at stake in this matter. In common with most low-paid workers, there is a significant discrepancy between their rights in principle and their ability in practice to exercise those rights. We have heard much about the matter of choice, but to suggest that a casual worker will have a choice of whether or not to work on Sunday is somewhat naive. The choice typically will be for the worker to turn up at work on Sunday or to not bother coming in again.
The Green Party policy is that Easter Sunday should be a public holiday, to ensure that workers who are required to work on that day receive a day off in lieu, and this issue is not addressed by the bill. Easter Sunday is one of the remaining 3½ days of the year when family life cannot be impinged upon by work commitments or a commitment to consumerism. There are, of course, already numerous exceptions to that rule: people in the service industries and in emergency services, utility operators, and others who are obliged to continue to work or to make services available on 365 days a year. However, extending that out to the entire suite of retail therapy opportunities would seem to breach quite a significant dam, as these holidays stand as quite significant symbols of resistance to a culture of unbridled consumerism and consumption. There have, unquestionably, been economic benefits from allowing longer trading hours, but so, too, have there been costs. The time available for people to engage in voluntary activity in their communities has been much reduced, and this has put pressure on schools, service clubs, and sports clubs to achieve their goals. New Zealand already has a culture of working excessively long hours: 20 percent of us work more than 50 hours a week, and 40 percent work more than 45 hours a week. We believe in enabling a much better work-life balance and in increasing opportunities for parents to spend time with their children and for people to be active in their communities. We have opposed all seven previous bills that have sought to liberalise Easter Sunday trading, and we will continue to resist this eighth attempt to breach that barrier. Thank you.
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