LIBERAL candidate for MacKillop Nick McBride has reiterated his commitment to retaining Millicent’s rare trading hour scheme following his party’s media release reporting 75pc of South Australians support deregulation.
In a statement, State Liberal leader Steven Marshall said the party’s deregulation policy had earned strong support, with 75pc of consumers supporting changes to “SA’s archaic shop trading hours”.
The announcement cites a study undertaken by the University of South Australia’s Institute for Choice which sampled 572 shoppers across the state, less than one third of the respondents of the two community votes undertaken in Millicent to determine its regulated shopping hour scheme.
Just eight of the respondents of the UniSA study reported living in a regional location with restricted hours, which includes Grace (Mallalla), Binnum (Binnum, Frances and Kybybolite) and Millicent, with one respondent living in an unidentified location within Wattle Range Council.
In 2006, council undertook community consultation of shop trading deregulation with 66pc of the 1653 respondents voting to retain the town’s current hours which restricts Woolworths, Foster’s Foodland and Target Country from opening on Sundays and public holidays.
An Australian Electoral Commission-run postal vote in February last year found 72pc of voters opposed deregulated trading hours.
While Mr McBride has previously indicated he will fight within the party room to ensure Millicent retains the unique status, he defended the party’s recent endorsement to abolish trading hours.
“At the heart of our policy is choice,” he said.
“The choice for businesses to open when they choose to, for workers to work when they want and for shoppers to shop when they want.
“I appreciate Millicent doesn’t want shopping hours deregulated.
“I will represent their viewpoint and endeavour to seek an exemption to the Liberal policy in the party room.”
Australian Conservatives candidate for MacKillop Richard Bateman suggested a two-tier system of deregulation, saying decisions in regional communities should be left to local councils.
“I’d support a system where the State Government would regulate shopping hours within 50km of the city and then local councils, who know what their local communities need, can regulate their own areas,” he said.
“That’s the reason we have councils, because they understand the community needs and make relevant decisions.”
Independent candidate for MacKillop Jon Ey said the current laws protected smaller business owners and independent retailers from competing against bigger corporations.
“I support the law that stands at the moment because once you give duopolies licences to run local business out of town, they’ll do that,” he said.
“What’s going to happen if Woolworths are going to open and the other two aren’t able to compete with their prices?
“The other two supermarkets will close down and then Woolworths will have the power to raise the prices to whatever they want.”
Labor’s Hilary Wigg, Greens candidate Donella Peters and SA-Best’s Tracy Hill did not respond to requests for comment.
