Shop Trading Hours

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): Supplementary question arising from the original answer: is there a mechanism that the Treasurer could provide in the exemption for Boxing Day trading that would actually protect small business owners, rather than relying on the goodness of the heart of multinational corporations? That is, is there any way, as part of the exemption, that it could be legally enforced that small businesses wouldn't be forced to trade on Boxing Day?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:31): If the Leader of the Opposition is now trying to help me draft an exemption in relation to allowing Boxing Day trade, I am happy to accept any unpaid legal advice he wants to offer. Certainly, from the government's viewpoint, we are prepared to look at a range of options, firstly, for this particular decision. But, as I said, we are taking action to ensure that traders won't be forced to trade. If I as minister were, at some stage in the future, to seek to use this particular power for a future Boxing Day, we would monitor the circumstances in relation to this particular Boxing Day.

We would look at what legal advice and other advice we might get to see whether or not, if there were to be a future use of this power, something else might need to be done to, in essence, ensure what the government has indicated its position is, and that is that workers shouldn't be forced to work and traders shouldn't be forced to trade. But, if people want to shop, if traders want to trade and if workers are prepared to work, why should our silly union bosses and Labor-dictated shop trading laws prevent that?