Shop Trading Hours

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (15:17): My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer please explain why retailers at some centres, like Harbour Town, are calling for greater freedom of retail trading hours on public holidays?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:17): I am delighted to be able to respond to that question.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: And so is the newly promoted frontbencher. The Hon. Ms Bourke needs to be quiet. The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Thank you, Mr President. The debate in relation to greater freedom of choice in retail trading hours has been dominated for the most part by claims and counterclaims in relation to the operation of supermarkets in South Australia. That is an important—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Ms Bourke!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition! We will move on to the next question if you don't want to listen to the answer. The Treasurer has the call.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Treasurer will resume his seat.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I do not need any assistance from the former President, the Hon. Mr Wortley. The Treasurer, I am sure, is going to address the topic, knowing that the time is running out for questions. I call the Treasurer.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: There is another important element of the greater freedom of choice in terms of retail trading hours, which is not often highlighted and it should be, and that is that there is a significant element of the retail community that are not supermarkets but are retail trading outlets which, because of our antiquated, dog's breakfast shop trading laws, if they happen to be greater than—

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Ms Bourke!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —200 square metres in terms of their shop trading space, they are not entitled to trade on public holidays.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke: How many people have actually asked you?

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Ms Bourke!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: For example, if you are a Cotton On or if you are a Sheridan (linen) or if you are a sports outlet and you happen to be 210 square metres in terms of shop trading space, the laws say that you can't trade on a public holiday—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —in places like Harbour Town. If you go down to Harbour Town, as indeed I have over past years, there are in some of the outlets signs which say, 'Due to state government restrictions we can't trade today,' because in some of these cases they happen to have committed the sin of being 210 square metres, and they can't trade.

The decision the government has taken for this coming Monday, Adelaide Cup holiday, will mean that some of these outlets, if they choose to do so and if the workers are prepared to work—I can assure you there are shoppers who want to shop—will be able to open on Monday for the first time ever probably on a public holiday to be able to trade and to allow people to shop and to spend the money that they might have sitting in their pockets as a result of their ongoing employment because of the economic recovery here in South Australia.