Ward Mike: Shop Trading Hours (Easter Trading Local Exemption) Bill — First Reading 
Ward Mike: Shop Trading Hours (Easter Trading Local Exemption) Bill — First Reading 
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MIKE WARD (Green) 
: 
 This House often speaks about the importance of families. It takes time to be a family and it takes time to be a parent. I was a retailer for many years. Occasionally I go and sit on my corner and sell jewellery still. I can recall when Saturday shopping was introduced and I campaigned against it as well. When the Americans came and decided that New Zealand was closed on Saturdays they might have decided that in fact New Zealanders were doing other things. They were watching their kids play rugby. They were playing rugby. They were out in their gardens. They were enjoying a weekend. New Zealanders knew what to do with a weekend. They knew what to do with leisure. Yes there were people who worked every day of the week and worked nights. They worked those hours because there are jobs that have to be done 24 hours a day. People have to be looked after in hospitals 24 hours a day. People need to be looked after when they get old and cannot look after themselves 24 hours a day. But we are not talking about that; we are talking about people going out and selling stuff. 
There is no shortage of opportunity in this country to buy stuff. There is though very much a shortage of time for people to be a family—to spend time with their children. I enjoyed watching my daughters play sport on a Saturday morning. It was one of those lovely times. I would sleep in a little then we would get up and have breakfast together then we would go down and watch the kids play netball and then we would come home I would go to Harriers and my friends would be there. 
When Saturday trading was introduced we were told that we would have a choice and that it was not compulsory. My retailing friends said: “You’ll not get me selling on a Saturday. I enjoy my leisure too much.” Yeah right. It was not by demand. The shops were empty. It was pushed by a few very large chains. The shops in those large chains were not full of customers. They had to do a very hard sell. They had to advertise and advertise and advertise. Slowly it took off and then the smaller shops decided that they were missing out and they would do it too. Eventually I had no choice. They destroyed my livelihood. I had to sell on a Saturday like everybody else. I never saw my son play sport on a Saturday. When one goes overseas one expects to behave the way people overseas behave—“When in Rome do as the Romans do”. It may seem like a rearguard action and I admit it is. 
I think Mark Peck said earlier that we would never see the shops open on Christmas Day. I would not be so sure because I can remember when it was said that we would never see shops open on a Sunday and it happened. Not being able to shop is not the end of the world. Somebody spoke about having to travel for 2 hours to go shopping. That is not the only choice. People could take their families out fishing. Parents might play with their children or stay home and talk with them. People might go out into the garden. Members can say that people have choices. It appals me that in a society like ours when we have never had so much stuff and we so desperately need time we decide to open the shops again. 
I believe in the principle of appropriate decision-making. I think local communities should make those decisions. But sometimes there needs to be a higher law and that is what we are here for—to give a direction to the community. Life will not fall apart if Easter Sunday trading happens but it will not get any better. People say to me: “Mike do you remember when you campaigned against Saturday shopping? The world has not fallen apart.” I tell them to have a look around for a while. Families are under extreme stress. We have a lack of purpose and a lack of reason for being. When shopping is people’s main source of recreation I say we have lost our way. We will be opposing this bill.