Shop Trading Hours

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:59): I have a point of clarification, Mr Speaker. Have all the requests come from one Foodland operator numerous times or numerous operators once?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:59): We have had numerous Foodland operators coming to us after we made a decision to implement the laws as they stand and say, 'Well, we didn't realise this.' This is the whole problem. The complex shop trading arrangements in South Australia were never enforced even though they were the law. They were advocated by those opposite, they were administered by those opposite, but they were never enforced.

Now, when we are enforcing the laws that we are required to in South Australia, we have the Foodlands coming to us, saying, 'We didn’t actually know that's what it was about. What we would like is further relaxation of the shop trading hours.' I say to all those businesses, 'So what you're saying is that you would like to have the choice to open when you would like to, when customers want to come and purchase your products, when your employees want to come and work.' They say, 'Yes, that's what we want.' I say, 'Well, that was what we put.' That’s what we put to the people of South Australia in the lead-up to the election. We argued for further deregulation of shop trading hours—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and that's what the people of South Australia voted for. Those opposite say that, no, that's not what they voted for. They can take a look at multiple polls, run by independent pollsters in South Australia and nationally, looking at what the consumers in South Australia want. Some opposite say that this would be a disaster because young people need to spend time with their families; they need to stay in with their families on Sunday mornings.

Sir, I can tell you that I have a young family, people of working age who would love some working hours on a Sunday morning. I can guarantee you that they don't get up out of bed at 7 o'clock on a Sunday morning to spend time with their dad. They would get out of bed at 7 o'clock to go to work and earn money, but that isn't available to them.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: That isn't available because those opposite think that they know how people should operate in South Australia. Well, we don't. We want to give much greater flexibility, much greater choice, to the people of this state.