Shop Trading Hours

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:58): A supplementary question: in the original answer given by the Treasurer the article he referred to reported that the government has considered it is a 'ridiculous' look to be strictly enforcing rules it considers to be 'stupid' but insists it can't pick and choose to whom the law of the land applies. Indeed, the Treasurer was quoted as saying, 'Sadly, this is the reality of what we said all along, that if we weren't able to make the change then this stupid law was going to have to be enforced.'

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Is this a supplementary?

The PRESIDENT: The member is giving some clarity for the benefit of the Treasurer.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: My supplementary question is this: does the Treasurer stand by those statements, that the government cannot pick and choose to whom laws apply and that the law must be enforced? Does the Treasurer agree that that principle should also apply to his cabinet colleagues?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:58): I am happy to answer questions in relation to shop trading legislation and indeed my responsibilities as minister. I am not going to proffer opinions about other pieces of legislation or other ministers. That is not the question I have been asked relating to this. In the area of the shop trading legislation—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: In responding to the member's question as it relates to shop trading legislation, I have said similar words to that in this place and elsewhere on any number of occasions, and of course I stand by that. The point that I have made both in that interview and a number of others is that, for example, if Aldi or Woolworths or Coles were to deliberately breach the shop trading legislation by opening 24 hours a day on public holidays and on weekends and through the week, there would be screams from members in this chamber, I suspect, and other stakeholder groups, saying, 'This is an outrage. Aldi and Woolworths and Coles are deliberately breaching the shop trading legislation. Why don't you do something about it?'—a very reasonable proposition to put if they were breaching the legislation.

If that rule of thumb should be applied to Aldi or Woolworths or Coles, it should be applied to other supermarket traders as well. That's what the Legislative Council and the parliament has voted for. It is a silly, outdated, antiquated piece of legislation but, ultimately, sadly, we are going to have to enforce it.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Pangallo, a supplementary.