Shop Trading Hours Working Group established
Labour Minister Margaret Wilson has set up a five-person working group to help sort out the inconsistencies in the
country’s shop trading hours legislation.
“Currently we have the ridiculous situation which sees tourist areas like Queenstown and Taupo allowed to open on Good
Friday and Easter Sunday, but not Mount Maunganui and Rotoura whose economies are also largely dependent on the tourist
dollar.”
Margaret Wilson said in recent years there have been a number of attempts to reform the shop trading hours legislation,
including the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act (Abolition of Restrictions) Bill which is currently before the Commerce
Select Committee.
The Bill, introduced by Rodney Hide, originally sought to remove all remaining trade restrictions except those applying
on Anzac Day morning. Following a majority vote by Parliament in May last year to retain the status quo, the Bill was
referred back to the committee for further consideration.
“The working group will provide recommendations to this committee about whether and how to change the current
legislation,” Margaret Wilson said.
“It will consider the various options for reform that have been considered by governments from 1990 on, including the
Hide Bill and submissions that have previously been made to the select committee.”
The working group will be chaired by Wellington lawyer Peter Chemis. Group members are David Russell of the Consumers’
Institute, New Zealand Retailers Association representative Cliff Daly, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
representative Judy Attenberger (National Distribution Union), and Local Government New Zealand representative, Tauranga
District Councillor David Stewart.
The group is expected to convene shortly and is due to report to the select committee, through the Minister, within
three months of this first meeting. Administrative support for the group will be provided by the Department of Labour.