Saturday shopping to be legalised

Press, 20 June 1980, Page 11

Saturday shopping to be legalised

PA Wellington Shops throughout New Zealand will be able to open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every Saturday under legislation soon to be introduced by the Government, the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) announced yesterday. "This will be optional, of course, but the law will make provision for shops to open during those hours,” Mr Muldoon told anews conference. The decision was made by the Government caucus at its meeting yesterday. Mr Muldoon emphasised that it was unanimous. In reply to questions, Mr Muldoon said banks would also be able to open on Saturdays if they wanted to. The Government was also going to have another look at restrictions on Sunday trading, especially foodstuffs.

Mr Muldoon said the legislation, an amendment to the Shop Trading Hours Act, would be introduced in Parliament as soon as it could be drafted. It was hoped that that would be fairly soon. The change is sure to lead to controversy. Most retailers and shop workers have previusly said they wanted no change in the present law, which restricts weekend trading to specific lists of goods which can be sold.

But Mr Muldoon said the change would lead to a better service for the public. *‘We think that this will Create, if anything, a more competitive situation," he said.

Mr Muldoon said it was difficult to summarise . the reasons behind the decision made by the caucus. “I think if I had to put it in one or two words, it would be that we see it to be in the public Interest,” Mr Muldoon said. Asked about shop workers’ fears that Saturday shopping would break up

family life, Mr Muldoon said that that argument was more apparent than real. “There are many workers who are forced to work on Saturdays,” he said. Pressure for change has come from pockets of retailers, especially in Auckland. But Mr Muldoon denied that the caucus decision was in response to pressure by the Auckland retailers. “I would not have thought the pressure of an Auckland trader would have much effect on Norman Jones, (Government member for . Invercargill),” Mr Muldoon said. “I can assure you he is as enthusiastic as anybody.” When a reporter pointed out that the main bodies representing retailers and shop workers were against hours being extended, Mr Muldoon said, “Time •..ill tell, I suppose. But I underline the point that the caucus was unanimous and we don’t have an Aucklanddominated caucus in the National Party.” Asked if the legislation would contain safeguards for shop employees, Mr Muldoon said he was sure that that would be a matter for arrangement with employers. He said he thought the change would mean much more flexibility and better service for the public. On the effect on prices, he said he thought if anything the change would result in more competition. Mr Muldoon was asked if the Government was concerned that the opening of bigger shops could mean the death of comer dairies. “We think on balance that the service provided by the dairy-type of shop is different in character from that of the larger shops,” he said. Dairies were to some extent a phenomena of suburban areas in big cities. “I think there will be some rationalisation,” Mr Muldoon said. , . .. „ But he doubted if all

I shops in central Wellington i or Auckland’s Queen Street , would open on Saturdays, ; although there might be i some changes in shopping malls. “We certailny don’t ; see the wholesale closing of corner dairies," Mr Muldoon said. I Mr Muldoon said the Gov- : eminent was not happy that wholesale flouting of the [ law might continue in rela- : tion to Sunday trading. “That situation is not sat- ; isfactory, and we are going to look further into the, detail of the law to make whatever changes are appro-! priate so that the law is clear and can be observed and policed,” he said. i . Seven retailers who had defied the present law and had opened their shops on ' Saturdays face prosecution under the Shop Trading Hours Act. But Mr Muldoon made it: clear that the proposed changes in the law would not affect the prosecutions. , ; “Any prosecutions that . are in the pipeline will con-' tinue,” he said. . i