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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-19 Daily Xml
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Shop Trading Hours

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:09): Supplementary based on the original answer: given that the honourable member has put his case and given that consumers don't have any more money in their pocket just because shops are open longer, can he guarantee that deregulated trading hours won't create more risky employment for younger workers, and how does deregulated trading hours actually create more jobs?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:09): Let me invite the honourable member, firstly, to have a quiet chat with the former attorney-general, Mr Rau, the member for Enfield.

The Hon. J.E. Hanson: Talk about your legislation.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: No, no; because the Hon. Mr Rau, as he was then, the attorney-general, minister for industrial relations, actually, as I said, introduced much greater—much greater—freedom of choice in terms of trading hours. So I would ask the member: put the question to the attorney-general.

The Hon. J.E. Hanson: I'm putting the question to you.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, I'll answer from my viewpoint, but I'm just saying to him that he is a member of the same caucus. He was in the same caucus when this occurred.

The Hon. J.E. Hanson: Just answer the question, Rob.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, exactly; I will answer the question in the way that I wish to. In part, I'm going to say have a word to your colleague, if you're talking to him. Have a word to your colleague. The world hasn't fallen in on those regional communities in South Australia. Have the young people been knocking on the doors to Labor members and to former attorney-general John Rau, and to the honourable member, saying, 'As a result of full deregulation in these regional communities by the Labor government we have been disadvantaged'? Quite the contrary, Mr President.

Young people by and large, particularly those who are studying, are desperate for weekend work. They are happy for weekend work, particularly on public holidays. Weekend work and public holiday work, young people see it as a way of being able to get extra hours, extra work to help them either fund their studies or to fund their lifestyle and their lifestyle commitments and whatever they choose to spend their money on. There are two answers: speak to the member for Enfield, because he has already implemented much further deregulation in regional areas than we are even contemplating, and have a word to him in relation to what the impact has been in relation to—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: You just stand up for the big businesses, Rob, that's all you do, the big end of town.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, this is a decision taken by your government.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: You're not listening to small businesses.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: You supported it, the Hon. Mr Hunter. You sat back there as a part of the cabinet and caucus and you quietly supported it. As a rabid lefty, Mr President, you supported this legislation of your ministerial colleague—

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order, Mr President. The Hon. Mr Lucas has just called you a rabid lefty, sir. Whilst I am very happy to have you in the club, I think it's not actually factually correct.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you for your point of order. Treasurer, continue.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The Hon. Mr Hunter as a rabid lefty, Mr President—

The PRESIDENT: Please don't reflect injuriously upon any other member.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Mr President, with the exception of the adjective 'rabid', I'm sure you don't mind being referred to as left, right or indifferent in terms of your political affiliations. In relation to the Hon. Mr Hunter as a rabid lefty, you were part of a government which instituted much greater deregulation in some of these regional communities, in particular in relation to Sunday trading.

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: We stand up for small business, Rob, that's what we do.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Give me a break. In relation to the new government's proposed reforms, we will build upon the basis which former attorney-general Rau instituted in relation to some of those regional areas, but we won't go as far. We are not going as far. We are not going to allow trading in the metropolitan area on Christmas Day, on Good Friday or on ANZAC Day morning. It is our view, based on the experience in every other state in Australia, that there will be a large number, a significant number, of young people and older people—not just young people, but a significant number of younger people in particular—who will be queueing up for the extra hours, who will be queueing up for the opportunity to be able to trade because there will be a number of further opportunities that they will have as a result of greater freedom of choice in relation to shop trading hours in South Australia.

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