Page 4832 - Week 16 - Monday, 25 November 1991
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It also says that subsequently we should remove all hours restrictions on the period from midnight on Sundays to 6.00 pm on Saturdays, and abolish restrictions on Sunday trading as from 1 January 1992.
He then referred to option B of that report, saying that it is much simpler. He said:
It simply says that we should scrap all trading hours legislation immediately. The report talks about the things that should accompany both those options.
Mr Humphries then went on to say:
Mr Speaker, all I can say is, "Hear, hear!".
Mr Humphries, of course, clearly supports full deregulation of shopping hours in the Australian Capital Territory.
Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to read into the transcript some comments from a submission that was made to me following the Government's release of the ACIL report for consultation. In the executive summary of that submission, it says:
It is submitted that no changes be made to current Trading Hour Legislation before -
and then, among other things, it says:
A social impact study has been done to assess what impact the demise of suburban and neighbourhood centres would have on local communities, in particular the elderly and disadvantaged;
The impact that the reduction in full-time jobs and the further casualisation of the retail industry would have been established. This will obviously affect many retailers' ability to provide high levels of service and product knowledge;
The effect of weekend work on our treasured "quality of life" (ie leisure and family time);
The pressure that weekend work would place on people to whom religious observance is an important part of their lives, is measured;
Public opinion has been accurately gauged. This can only be done after alerting the public to both the costs and benefits of longer trading hours.
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