Page 972 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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Canberra Day - Trading Hours
MS MAHER: My question is also to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister inform the Assembly as to why Canberra stores did not open on the Canberra Day public holiday, taking into consideration the numbers of ACT residents that went over to Queanbeyan to go shopping?
MR KAINE: I am interested in making some comments on that matter, Mr Speaker. First of all, it is well known that the Trading Hours Act allows shops selling exempt goods to trade at any time anyway. They do not need specific approval from this Assembly or anywhere else to open, and the exemptions apply to the sale of items of food, hardware, books and souvenirs, amongst many others. In fact, there was no request from any trader, or from any local organisation representing traders, for the shops to be open in Canberra on Canberra Day, which is rather interesting. I would have thought that we would have had a request from somebody; but no request was made, and so the matter was not considered.
I think it is worth noting that there are significant differences of opinion amongst local traders on whether there should be unrestricted trading on public holidays. If you asked a dozen traders, half of them would say that they would like to open and the other half would say that because they are family businesses, or for some other reason, it is very difficult for them to open on public holidays and they do not want to.
Because of those differences of opinion, Mr Speaker, the Government has engaged a consultant to examine and provide advice on issues relating to trading hours in the ACT. I am confident that the ultimate result will be a more satisfactory trading hours arrangement, and it will include settled conditions for trading on public holidays throughout the year, including Canberra Day, in the future.
Mr Berry: That should keep it buried until the next election.
MR KAINE: After the next election, I will be here, Mr Berry; but I do not know about you. So, the Government is mindful of the problems - - -
Mr Collaery: What did you say when we stopped it on Australia Day?
MR SPEAKER: Order!
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