Easter Trading Bill

Change comes slowly sometimes. Earlier this year Parliament voted 73-41 to send a bill to select committee which will allow Tauranga and Wanak to open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Today MPs vote on another bill which would allow any city or district council to decide if local shops could open on Easter Sunday.

Both are steps in the right direction, but this is what the law should be:

SHOP TRADING HOURS ACT 2006

1. Short Ttile

The Act shall be known as the Shop Trading Hours Act

2. Shop Trading Hours

There shall be no restriction on any shop, anywhere in the country, from opening on any day, for any hours it so wishes.

So long as elsewhere you have a provision that employees in non essential industries can not be forced to work on public holidays, then that is all that is needed. The state has absolutely no role in preventing customers, employees and employers from earning and spending money on certain days, if they wish to.