Bridges Simon: Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 Repeal (Easter Sunday Local Choice) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Bridges Simon: Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 Repeal (Easter Sunday Local Choice) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) 
: 
 It is good to rise and speak in favour of the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 Repeal (Easter Sunday Local Choice) Amendment Bill. It is an interesting bill. I have searched my conscience and tried to put aside ideological considerations and considerations of party politics and what the party rulebooks or constitutions might say and get down to what works what communities will find works and what is good for them. It seems to me that that is exactly what this bill is about and what it does. It gives the power back to communities and to councils to do something and to exercise their judgment on whether to have shops open on Easter Sunday. 
As I said in my maiden speech I am generally socially conservative but I do not think I am unthinkingly or uncaringly so. I also said that I think we very much need to do what works not what sounds good in theory. I want to say in this debate—perhaps there has not been so much talk of this; it has been more unionist-type argument—that I have sympathy for the arguments based on a special time for family on special religious days and for example the real significance in the Christian faith of Easter Sunday. As I also said in my maiden speech my father is a retired Baptist minister. I am sure that I will attend an Easter service in this coming year. But I nevertheless— 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Son of a preacher man! 
SIMON BRIDGES 
: I am the son of a preacher man; he was the only one who could ever teach me. 
I nevertheless say to this House that although I would not accept a carte blanche liberalisation of the law—including for example Good Friday and Christmas Day—I think this particular bill getting away from the ideology offers choice and will work. Significantly it will allow for different positions in different circumstances and localities even within cities. In places like Tauranga where I am privileged to be the MP we may see Mount Maunganui open to trade whereas other parts of the city—such as the aptly named given this bill Bethlehem—we may not. As I said it is not laying down a carte blanche ideological position; it is about choice flexibility and differing positions in differing circumstances and locations. 
In considering this bill and how to vote I consulted with quite a number of people. I wanted to exercise my conscience and I also wanted to know what the people of Tauranga thought. I can tell members that retailers in for example Mount Maunganui have been influential in shaping my views. They said to me that they wholeheartedly support this bill. They said that it is still summer at Easter at the Mount and many tourists both domestic and international still want to shop and get out for the crafts the eateries and so on. They say that of course this should be optional; it will be for both the retailers and for the customers. They say that they will make very strong efforts to be family focused and to have things for families because not only will that be great for their businesses but also it will be good for the community to have people and families given something to do to get out and to enjoy what Mount Maunganui’s shops and retailers have to offer. 
As I said this will be optional for customers. They can choose to go to the coffee shops and the crafts markets or they can choose to go to church and to spend time with their families at home. I like that very much.