Shop Trading Hours

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:55): How does the government consider a measly two hours a sufficient balance of extra trading hours? How is two hours considered a reasonable amount?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is something that has been raised—the 11am opening on Sundays. To make it consistent with Saturdays, we thought that was a reasonable proposal and a reasonable balance.

I want to be clear. Do you know why we haven't got it? Because those opposite didn't want it. They wanted more restrictive shop trading hours and to force workers to work on public holidays when they should be spending time with their family, to force local food producers out of business by letting the multinational corporations, who run the multinational supermarkets, to squeeze out our own food producers. That's what those opposite wanted. That's not what we want. That's the balance that we have struck.