John Key says the nine National party MPs who are not in favour of changing the rules around Easter trading “were mostly of a Catholic persuasion and didn’t support Easter trading on religious grounds,” which Key said he respects.
However he wants the rules changed and he says it is a conscience vote and people need to vote that way. He believes if MPs voted on Easter trading based on what their conscience told them the bill would pass.
Dunedin Bishop Campbell believes “allowing trading on Good Friday and Eater Sunday would undermine New Zealand’s Christian traditions.” He thinks however that for many New Zealanders the significance of the Easter holidays “extends beyond religion.”…“These holidays have become times for family and community groups to gather, hold events or rest, opportunities which are becoming increasingly rare.” The New Zealand Catholic Bishops say they “strongly support” Bishop Campbell’s position
The last time a vote was taken Caritas Aotearoa wrote to all Members of Parliament “urging them to vote against the extension of retail hours proposed in the two Easter Sunday trading bills.”
In late 2009 a private member’s bill failed by three conscience votes, 62 votes to 59, when it was introduced to Parliament.
Last October another bid to have the law changed was introduced by Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean who wanted to include Wanaka as well as Queenstown under the law. Dean has put the bill on hold while she attempts to get enough votes to get it passed.
It was the 14th time Parliament had attempted to change New Zealand’s Easter trading regulations in the past 20 years.
Source
The Daily Post
Photo Credit
The Warehouse.co.nz
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News category: New Zealand.
