Wellington refuses to let communities decide

Todd McClay’s private members bill was as unthreatening as you can get. It didn’t repeal all those nonsense shop trading hour laws, as I would advocate.

It didn’t affect a single public holiday. It did not affect Good Friday. It only affected Easter Sunday (not a public holiday) and merely said that rather than accept the bizarre status quo of some “tourist” regions able to open and some can not, it would be a decision for each local authority – ie let the local community decide.

Todd, as MP for Rotorua, had huge local support for the bill as the bizarre status quo means Taupo shops can open, but Rotorua shops can not.

So this bill was as mild as you can get. It did not mean the whole country would change – it was about allowing local communities to decide – instead of Wellington.

You would have thought it deserved to at least get to select committee, so local communities could have their say on the bill.

An Easter bill last Parliament by Jacqui Dean passed the first reading 73-41. 15 Labour MPs voted for it – including Clark, Cullen and Goff.

And another previous Easter Bill by Labour MP Steve Chadwick had 27 Labour MPs vote for it at first reading and 14 Labour MPs vote for it at second reading. It was a true conscience vote.

This time Labour block voted against it, with the sole exception of Steve Chadwick. Why would Labour MPs who previously allowed more far reaching bills go to select committee, block vote against such a mild bill?

The answer is simple. Two major groups are against any change to the status quo. The first is the churches and religious right. Hence nine National MPs (almost all of religious conviction) voted not to allow NZers a chance to have their say on the law. Shame.

But the other major group that opposes any change, are the unions.

So why did this mean Labour MPs block voted? Simple. The national secretary of NZ’s largest union is the chair of Labour’s list ranking committee.

Again this was not a bill to change all of NZ. It was about allowing a process of letting local communities decide whether or not they should be an exempted area due to tourism etc. The status quo has Queenstown open and Wanaka shut. Taupo open and Rotorua shut etc etc.