Page 4835 - Week 16 - Monday, 25 November 1991
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Despite some opposition by small businesses, Saturday trading arrangements appear to be very popular.
Mr Humphries: That is right.
MR BERRY: Let us not forget the opposition from the small businesses. Of course, this popularity is with the ACT community. Families may shop together in a more leisurely fashion and traders may choose to open longer to satisfy demand in their particular trade. Not all traders stay open until 5.00 pm, as obviously the demand is not there.
Of course, on 9 September 1991, the Chief Minister released for public comment a report on trading hours in the ACT prepared by the consultancy firm ACIL Australia Pty Ltd. This is the ACIL report to which Ms Carnell was referring. The ACIL report recommends that shopping hours be further deregulated in the ACT, either immediately or through a staged process, commencing with the extension of hours on Thursday evenings and the early announcement of which public holidays will be shopping days. Acceptance of Mr Humphries' Bill would amend the Act and fix Saturday trading till 5.00 pm. However, I and my colleagues will not be supporting the Bill. There are two quite different positions within the Liberal camp.
Mr Humphries: No, there are not.
MR BERRY: Quite clearly, there are quite different positions.
Mr Humphries: She was talking about something quite different to that. That is total deregulation.
MR BERRY: She was talking about the ACIL report.
Mr Humphries: It was totally deregulated trading hours that she was talking about.
MR BERRY: She was talking about the ACIL report, and Mr Humphries supports totally deregulated trading hours. He said so in his speech. He should read his speech. You should read it in your speech. In any event, we will not be supporting this Bill, as it would be an unnecessary use of resources. Saturday trading to 5.00 pm is already provided for by the declaration of 13 September 1989. (Quorum formed)
Of course, we will not support the Bill, as I have said. It would be an unnecessary use of resources, as Saturday trading till 5.00 pm is already provided for. Amendment to the Act now would not achieve the purpose of enshrining all day Saturday trading. If an ACT government had a different policy on Saturday trading it could easily be introduced by way of another declaration. Most importantly, the ACIL report has only recently been released for public comment.
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