Brown Peter: Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal (Easter Trading)  Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Brown Peter: Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal (Easter Trading)  Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:631;Page:3605] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 It was good to hear the member who has just resumed her seat spend at least some of her time talking about this bill rather than her own bill which came before the House a few weeks back and which New Zealand First was pleased to support. We are much more comfortable with this bill than with hers for a number of reasons. 
First and foremost this bill can apply to the whole of the country. The previous speaker’s bill applied basically to Tauranga and Wanaka— 
Jacqui Dean 
: Why didn’t you listen to what I was saying? 
PETER BROWN 
: —and she could add other towns and cities on to the list. I know the member could add to that list. Second—and this is important—New Zealanders are warmly disposed towards Easter Sunday trading but they are not as warmly disposed towards Good Friday trading. If the member does not believe that she should go out and ask members of the public but I know people are quite warmly disposed towards Easter Sunday trading. I do not agree with the member that it will take 6 months or be very complicated to implement this bill. I think it could be done very very rapidly. Another area of difference that I think should be highlighted is that this bill refers to the areas of territorial authorities that actually exist whereas that honourable member’s bill revolved around where post offices were sited. A post office can be moved relatively easily overnight which would mean that the trading areas would keep shifting. 
I come from Tauranga and I know that Tauranga will accept this bill warmly and very quickly. Tauranga has been absolutely brassed off—and that is putting it as politely as I can—to see cruise ships come in and taxis and minibuses pick up all the passengers and take them out of Tauranga through Rotorua to trade in Taupo. That is absolutely daft. This bill allows that situation to be corrected very very quickly to my mind. 
New Zealand First has carried out a number of surveys on the proposal that shops trade on Easter Sunday; some were informal and some were more formal. Every survey we have taken has shown huge support for trading on Easter Sunday. We have involved ourselves in discussions with church people and with people from all walks of life in fact but we were very pleased with the response we received from church people. That was principally in Tauranga but also in other areas of New Zealand. People are very keen to see Easter Sunday trading introduced. 
 New Zealand First will without a doubt support this bill. We support the earlier bill. We hope that the two bills can be combined together and an appropriate degree of common sense will be applied so that this House is not ultimately faced with deciding between Bill A Bill B and what have you at the end of the day. 
This is an issue that has gone on for far too long in this House. The honourable member who just resumed her seat made reference to the retailers who are driving this proposal. I do not think there are any problems with regard to retailers. They will accept this type of legislation very very quickly—overnight. I do not think there is any problem with regard to the public. The problem for this sort of legislation is the members of this House. Some of the members of this House have adopted a totally head in the sand attitude toward this sort of legislation and it pleases me no end to know that many many members will now support this bill going to the select committee. New Zealand First has tried for many years to get this sort of legislation before the House. I forget the number of attempts we have made only to fail at the last minute or right in a last-ditch effort. 
We are absolutely delighted that this bill is here. The decision will be made by local authorities after consultation with their local communities. We wish the bill every success and we will most certainly support it.