Shop Trading Hours

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): Supplementary arising from the answer: has the Treasurer or anyone from his office met with former Liberal candidate Theo Vlassis or Franz Knoll about their strident opposition to the government's hurtful plans to deregulate shop trading hours?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:24): I am sure that one of my ministerial colleagues has met with Mr Knoll. I think both Stephan and Franz indicated publicly that they have a healthy disagreement in relation to shop trading hours. I think, as I indicated, there are obviously some differing views within that wonderful company that the Knolls represent, Barossa Fine Foods, because I placed on the public record during some media interviews the views of a senior marketing executive within Barossa Fine Foods who said he and they welcomed deregulation.

They were looking to open their stores for longer hours and it would give them the flexibility when workers come to some of their stores and can't get home until after 5.30 or 6. He lamented the fact that they were not opening and those customers were going to the supermarkets, who were able to compete. So, even within that wonderful company, Barossa Fine Foods, a great South Australian company, there is obviously a healthy disagreement not just amongst the family members but also amongst some of the senior executives who actually are running the business.

In relation to Theo Vlassis, I am probably the only member of the party who has been around long enough to remember Theo as a candidate—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Okay, some of my colleagues are putting their hands up.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Again your backbench disagrees with you, Rob.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: That is alright; we are a broad church in our party. We are actually allowed to express views. I, together with a number of my colleagues, know Theo and we know his views in relation to shop trading hours, and they haven't changed very much over the years at all.

There are others, I am sure, who may well have a view, either past candidates or family members or perhaps even someone who has cut the hair of a Liberal Party MP or mowed his or her lawn. I am sure there is a never-ending list of people who have been associated in some way with the Liberal Party who might have a slightly different view on this particular issue. The reality is that the Marshall Liberal government was elected on a platform of implementing reform in this particular area.

This is not a policy we hid in the top drawer and have dusted off after the election. We proudly fought for it during the election period. On a number of occasions I had discussions, debates and interviews with Josh Peak from the shoppies union, previously with Peter Malinauskas, who led the shoppies union, and with Colin Shearing and indeed Graham Ingerson. Graham is another former Liberal MP who has been actively engaged representing independent grocers in South Australia. On any number of occasions, I have had a healthy discussion and debate with those representatives of people who might have different views to ours.

We are not in a position where we dismiss the views of others. We respectfully listen to them, but in the end we have made a mature judgement as a party that this is in the best interests of the majority of South Australians, and we will continue to pursue the policy from now until whenever there is achievement of the goal of the party to implement reform of shop trading hours in South Australia.