Show Us Your Legislation, Margaret
Monday, August 6 2001
Rodney Hide Press Releases -- Governance & Constitution
After twenty months of complete inaction, Attorney-General Margaret Wilson has finally realised that she should really
do something about holiday trading laws, ACT Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide said today.
"The painful process of coming to this realisation has been so daunting for Margaret that she hasn't actually managed to
write any legislation yet.
"I've got good news for her. My 'Shop Trading Hours (Abolition of Restrictions) Bill' has been before Parliament since
1999. Since election, the Government has done everything it can to delay passage of my Bill. Perhaps this explains
Margaret's failure to come up with anything of her own: she's been too busy delaying an ACT Bill that would actually fix
the problem once and for-all.
"My Bill is now before Parliament for a vote. It would give shop owners the freedom to decide if they open on public
holidays. This is far more democratic than Margaret Wilson's plans, which would have ultimate power rest in her office.
Her scheme reeks of Muldoonism and cronyism.
"If Margaret Wilson is serious about bringing our holiday trading laws out of the dark ages, then she would let Labour
MPs choose for themselves whether they should vote for my Bill.
"Otherwise, Margaret's going to be out-of-office by the time she manages to get pen to paper," Rodney Hide said today.
For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at
act@parliament.govt.nz.