WA:WA Libs to take Sunday trading to election

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2011
WA:WA Libs to take Sunday trading to election

By Josh Jerga

PERTH, Aug 14 AAP - Western Australian will finally catch up with the rest of Australia
if premier Colin Barnett is re-elected in 2013, by allowing all shops across Perth to
trade on Sundays.

Mr Barnett announced if the Liberals are re-elected, his first priority would be to
allow all shops in metropolitan Perth, including supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths,
to trade between 11am and 5pm on Sundays.

In his speech to the WA Liberal Party conference, the premier said he would put the
issue at the centre of the party's election campaign.

"This will be a significant election issue and I think people will vote, in a sense,
with their feet and they will strongly endorse it," Mr Barnett told reporters.

"If the Liberal Party and the National Party are fortunate enough to be returned to
government, we will claim a clear mandate as Liberals for Sunday trading."

The Liberals are currently unable to pass the proposal for Sunday trading as it would
be scuttled not only by the Labor Party but also the junior government partner, the Nationals.

Mr Barnett was confident if the Liberals were re-elected, all MPs, including those
from Labor, would respect the views of the community and support the policy.

The plan has won the support of the WA Independent Grocers Association President John
Cummings who said it was the logical move on the path toward extending retail trading
hours.

Mr Cummings said it gave small businesses 18 months to adjust and if the Liberals were
successful, would provide a level playing field.

The WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive, James Pearson, said the move
would bring trading laws "into the 21st century and shake our unenviable title of having
the most restrictive regime in the country".

But Mr Pearson said the government should implement the changes immediately and not
turn the issue into a political football.

Opposition Leader Eric Ripper said while Labor would announce its policy closer to
the election, it currently only backs the trading of white goods and furniture on Sundays.

Mr Ripper said even if the Liberals were re-elected, Labor would only back whatever
policy it took to the election.

"We're going to keep faith with our voters; we're not there to implement Colin Barnett's
promises," he said.

"One of the things we want to make sure of is that the interests of shop workers are
taken into account. The public debate just treats those interests as if they're completely
unimportant.

"Well, we represent those people."

Since the Liberals came to power they have slowly whittled away at the regulations
over trading hours, along with support from Labor, by letting shops stay open until 9pm
on weeknights.

A bill to let small businesses employing up to 18 people trade on Sundays was introduced
into parliament last week, with all parties, including Labor, stating their support for
the move.

In the announcement, that was greeted by loud applause from the Liberal Party faithful,
Mr Barnett said the move was the final step towards deregulated shopping hours.

"It's a matter of choice ... for consumers and also choice for retailers about when
they choose to open," Mr Barnett said.

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KEYWORD: LIBS WA WRAP

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