Labour modifies stand on shop-hours bill

Press, 11 July 1980, Page 1

Labour modifies stand on shop-hours bill

PA Wellington The Government yesterday introduced legislation in Parliament to allow shops to trade on Saturdays and dairies to be freed of all trading-hours restrictions. The Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) introduced the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill. Under the amendment, shops would be able to open, but need not do so, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturdays. It also recognised the special position of the small dairy in Sunday trading, Mr Bolger said. “The corner dairy must be able to provide the service customers could rea-

sonably require on Sundays,” he said. Dairy-mixed businesses would be permitted to trade on Sundays in food, beverages, and household and personal items. Mr Bolger said the legislation was another example of the Government’s intention to return greater freedom to New Zealanders in areas where Government involevment was no longer necessary. “I am confident retailers and their employees are sufficiently mature enough to operate in an environment of greater freedom,” he said.

The Opposition came under fire, from the Government during the debate on the bill’s introduction.

The Opposition Shadow Minister of Labour, Mr T. K. Burke, said the Opposition was opposed to “open slather” Saturday shopping, but would not oppose the introduction of the bill in the hope that it would be changed in the select committee. The Opposition supported “flexibility” in the law in recognition of the social changes taking place in New Zealand, Mr Burke said. This prompted a stinging attack by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) who accused the Opposition of following a “flip, flop” policy on Saturday trading. “They were adamantly opposed to it; they were going to fight it every inch of the way,” Mr Muldoon said. “Now it comes to the House and they say, 'We are not going to oppose the introduction of the bill, we want flexibility’.” Mr Muldoon accused the Opposition of “flexibly changing” its policy if it saw the public’s taking a different line. , Later, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) said the Opposition would not oppose the bill’s introduction because people would have a

chance to hear evidence put to the select committee. “We will allow that to

happen and we will hope that the Government will be prepared to listen in the same way as we will,” Mr Rowling said.

Mr Burke told Parliament the Opposition would work in the select committee to protect the interests of shop employees and the working conditions of others who would inevitably become involved.

The Social Credit leader, Mr B. C. Beetham (Rangltikei), said that thousands of New Zealanders belonged to religious denominations which had objections to working on Saturday and such people should have their jobs guaranteed. 'Mr Bolger said such people were now accommodated under the conscientious objector provisions of the present law and they would be extended to cover the new proposals.

The bill abolishes the present category of “special goods” and allows the Minister of Labour to amend the list of goods approved for sale on Sundays at any time after consultation with the Shop Trading Hours Commission.

The commission itself is reduced from three members to one, under a clause to come into effect on October I, but there is provision for the appointment of an additional member. Shops will have to close when a public holiday falls on a Saturday. Clause six of the bill allows bazaars to be run on Saturdays without a special exemption. Penalties for offences against the act are increased from a maximum of S5OO to a maximum of $lOOO. The bill was referred to the Labour and Education Select Committee.