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The Delay In Extended Retail Trading Hours. (Read 378 times)
imcrookonit
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The Delay In Extended Retail Trading Hours.
Oct 19th, 2010 at 8:48am
 
  The delay in extending retail trading hours in Perth shows the extent to which adversarial politics over the issue has descended into farce.

One of the more contentious issues in Western Australian politics in recent years has been retail trading hours.

I remember the tabling of the Kelly Report in my first year in Parliament in 1986, which recommended a progressive deregulation. Since then tourist precincts allowing Sunday trading in the Cities of Perth and Fremantle were allowed, but the case for systematic change was always stymied by effective political campaigning and insider lobbying by opponents of deregulation.

By the time I was elected Premier in 2001 the issue was still with us, but by then a new, national context provided by the National Competition Policy was part of the debate. The situation was simple – if WA didn't reform its trading hours it couldn't access its share of the incentive money provided by the Commonwealth. You didn't have to do it but if you didn't you missed out on the cash.
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The ALP had committed to the status quo in my first term of government but it became clear that we needed a better way forward should we be re-elected for a second term. We explored two attempts at reform and both failed.

Firstly, an effort to allow for weeknight trading – an eminently sensible suggestion that was well suited to Perth's climate and lifestyle – was defeated by an alliance of Liberals, Nationals, One Nation and the Greens. In fact the Liberals under Colin Barnett's leadership unleashed Dan Sullivan (then Member for Mitchell) to lead the populist campaign against change.

Secondly, we tried the referendum route at the 2005 election. Once again the opponents of change won the day on both weeknight shopping and Sunday trading. The majority view that prevailed was that such changes would not be of benefit to the community.

The reasons for this result are easy to see – a rather limp campaign by the supporters of change versus an aggressive and targeted campaign by the opponents. The "big versus small" and "family versus business" narratives proved incredibly effective.

But despite the referendum result, the argument for more freedom of choice in a society where patterns of work and leisure are now much more varied than they once were continued to resonate. We now see that change is on the way, at least with respect to weeknight trading across the city from next month and Sunday trading for three more tourist precincts – Joondalup, Midland and Armadale.

What is the key to this development? On this occasion the state opposition led by Eric Ripper has agreed to change but not before an initial reluctance. Given the way this issue has traditionally played out in the Labor Caucus this is a significant achievement for the Opposition Leader.

The temptation for an opposition to oppose everything a government proposes is always strong. Some say that is what oppositions are for because it helps clarify issues and make the government work hard for its platform. Edmund Burke put it this way:

    * "He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This amicable conflict with difficulty helps us to an intimate acquaintance with our object, and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial."

Such an argument has some relevance in Great Britain where the House of Lords can only delay legislation and where the government's "will" almost inevitably prevails. However, what about Australian politics and its systems of proportional representation in the Senate and the Upper Houses in WA, NSW, Victoria and SA? Here the opposition can line up with the minor parties and independents and defeat government initiatives.

In this situation, the attitude of an opposition to reform legislation is crucial because it invariably generates hostility from vested interests. What may be good policy can often look like bad politics to an opposition looking for friends in the community.

Political scientists Ian Marsh and David Yencken have shown in their excellent monograph Into the future: the neglect of the long-term in Australian politics that bi-partisanship is crucial if we are to meet the challenges of the future. Crude and untutored adversarialism can be effective in holding up much needed change.

However, the silliness of it all is illustrated by the case retail trading hours in WA – if the Liberal opposition had supported weeknight trading during my term in government, what is being achieved now could have been settled five years ago.

That they didn't support the push wasn't just because of conviction and argument on the question, but because they couldn't resist the temptation to line up with powerful interest groups opposing change.

What price political, economic, social and environmental reform in Australia today if adversarialism always prevails?
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imcrookonit
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Re: The Delay In Extended Retail Trading Hours.
Reply #1 - Oct 19th, 2010 at 8:51am
 
This is the year 2010 not 1910.  Open the lot 24 hours a day,seven days a week, and move Australia into the modern world.
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LB
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Re: The Delay In Extended Retail Trading Hours.
Reply #2 - Oct 21st, 2010 at 3:26am
 
Haha, yes I agree.  It's time for Australia to step up and make a difference.

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Verge
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Re: The Delay In Extended Retail Trading Hours.
Reply #3 - Oct 21st, 2010 at 7:32am
 
Why is this such a big deal to you imcrook?
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And why not, if you will permit me; why shouldn’t I, if you will permit me; spend my first week as prime minister, should that happen, on this, on your, country - Abbott with the Garma People Aug 13
 
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