Parliament To Revisit Easter Trading

The Rt Hon Winston Peters is reviving the issue of Easter Sunday trading when the Shop Trading Hours (Easter Trading Local Exemption) Bill is debated in Parliament this afternoon.

The Bill is designed to confer power on territorial authorities to decide whether businesses can open for trade on Easter Sunday.

This bill was first lodged by Mr Peters in 1998 in response to a situation in Tauranga where businesses wanted to open to service the tourism trade, particularly cruise ships arriving over the Easter period.

Mr Peters said that he had been trying since 1997 to amend legislation to allow Tauranga and Mount Maunganui businesses to open in exceptional circumstances if approved by the Tauranga District Council.

“Issues of shop trading hours at Easter should be decided at a local level rather than being imposed from Wellington,” said Mr Peters.

“This bill represents a common sense approach to shop trading hours and a much needed level of community involvement.

“I will be urging all members of Parliament to support a bipartisan approach to this issue which is of vital importance to Tauranga and other centres trying to cater beyond the commercial needs that garden centres offer.

“Such issues are best decided on by local government and the community,” concluded Mr Peters.

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