Your Say SA reveals trading deregulation stays at top of shopping list

THE campaign to convince South Aussies that shopping de-regulation is folly has failed, as the Your Say SA survey suggests our retail appetitie remains undented.

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A FIERCE campaign against expanding shop-trading hours has failed to dent public support for the State Government’s signature reform, ahead of a showdown in Parliament over the plan later this month.

Treasurer Rob Lucas plans to push his deregulation agenda to a vote in the Upper House within weeks, despite the Opposition and crossbench banding together in a united front against change.

The Your Say SA survey has found overwhelming support for more trading hours, which would include Sunday mornings and public holidays, in a result that mirrors previous public polls.

Sixty-two per cent of respondents said trading hours should be deregulated, letting them shop when they want.

Thirty-eight per cent said restrictions should remain.

The strongest support for reform was found among men and people under 50. Views among women were closely divided, with 53 per cent supporting deregulation and 47 per cent opposing the idea.

This year’s results are broadly consistent with those achieved 12 months ago, when 64 per cent of all respondents backed change and 36 per cent backed the current system.

Since then, unions and small businesses have banded together with Labor for a public and advertising campaign that voices fears about the affect of deregulation on workers and independent retailers.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas, a former head of the powerful shop assistants’ union, says employees must have some guaranteed family time and not be forced to work around the clock.

SA Independent Retailers Association chief executive Colin Shearing has warned deregulation “will only benefit big interstate chains like Coles and Woolworths”, at the expense of small stores.

“SA-owned businesses will be forced to trade longer hours to stay afloat or shut their doors if deregulation goes ahead,” he says.

“Deregulation will see interstate chain stores killing off the competition and will lead to high prices at the checkout for consumers.”

Speaking on Labour Day as many suburban department stores and supermarkets were closed, Mr Lucas says he is prepared to take the issue to another election.

He says “we will know by the end of the month” whether his current legislation was dead in the water.

“We’ve already advised the crossbenchers and the Labor Party that the Government would be intending to bring it to a vote when Parliament resumes,” Mr Lucas says. “We’ll know one way or another.”

Mr Lucas says he had approved a special exemption for a Thebarton Foodland store to trade longer, as it sought to overcome a drop in business because of recent roadworks.

He expects others will make similar requests in bids to boost sales and revenue.