Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas declares expanded Sunday morning shop trading ‘dead’, as State Government faces likely defeat in Upper House

OPPOSITION Leader Peter Malinauskas has declared the prospect of expanded Sunday morning shop trading “dead” and taken his proposed compromise off the table, reiterating that Labor will not accept total deregulation.

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OPPOSITION Leader Peter Malinauskas has declared the prospect of expanded Sunday morning shop trading “dead” in SA, and blames the State Government for having “killed” it.

Soon after becoming Labor leader in April, the former shop assistants’ union boss said he was only willing to consider changing the Sunday trading start time from 11am to 9amas a compromise that could be necessary to “protect the sanctity of public holidays” of retail workers.

The offer was met with immediate derision from the Government, which said Mr Malinauskas was standing in the way of wholesale reform that would create jobs and grow the economy.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas has declared the prospect of expanded Sunday morning shop trading “dead” in SA.

Speaking to The Advertiser this week, amid a new advertising campaign from independent grocers against reform, Mr Malinauskas, said his Sunday compromise was now off the table.

“I said very early on in the piece — and it was conditional at the time — that the only change that we wanted to contemplate or consider was 9 to 11 o’clock on Sundays,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“Within hours, (Premier) Steven Marshall and (Treasurer) Rob Lucas were rejecting that wholeheartedly. They completely dismissed it. OK, no problems. It’s dead, he killed it.

“Now they are bowling up their total deregulation option, which is unacceptable to us.”

Labor’s hardening position comes as critical crossbenchers also dig in against the Government on a key campaign pledge which it said would be introduced to Parliament this month.

The Government needs at least three crossbench votes to pass controversial legislation, and had been working towards support from two SA Best MPs and independent John Darley.

SA Best MP Frank Pangallo this week said he feared the Government’s deregulation plan would ultimately “devastate small and medium-sized businesses” and amounted to “an aggressive push by the big end of town that will force out small independent retailers”.

Treasurer Rob Lucas and Premier Steven Marshall.

Mr Darley said: “When I first heard about this (more shopping hours), I thought it wasn't such a bad idea”.

“But having heard more, I’ve sort of changed my mind,” he said. Asked if he would consider more Sunday trading if the Government sought to start negotiations, Mr Malinauskas said it was a “silly hypothetical” that wouldn’t happen.

Mr Marshall told Parliament that shop trading hours reform would grow the economy, create jobs and increase choice for consumers who strongly backed his policy at the March election.

“The very clear reality is that our economy as a total will benefit,” Mr Marshall said.

“Not everybody agrees with us, but that doesn’t mean that we should shy away from making tough decisions. When we look at the other jurisdictions around Australia, where they have actually deregulated shop trading hours, they have seen their economies grow.

“They have seen more jobs being created, and that is a benefit for all SA. We want to see all businesses in this state benefit from deregulation, and that is exactly what we will do.”

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