Cameron Luxton: Act MP on bill to relaxed restricted trading hours laws

This could be the final Easter weekend of not knowing what's open and not what's not and when and when you can drink something and when you can't.

That's because Kieran McAnulty's member's bill to make amendments to the Shop Trading Hours Act has recently passed its first reading at Parliament.

MPs in the past have tried and failed at making changes to legislation, including Act's Cameron Luxton, who talks to Tim Beveridge. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
All going well. This could be the final Easter weekend
of not knowing what's open and not what's not, and
when and when you can drink something and when you can't.
And Karen Mcinaughty's Members Bill to make Amendments to the
Shop Trading Ours Act has recently passed its first reading
at Parliament. MPs in the past have tried and failed
at making changes to the legislation, including acts Cameron Luxton

(00:37):
justin in December, just gone and Cameron joins me now
of Cameron, good.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Morning, Good morning Tim.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
So you support Labour's version of the bill.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
I support Kiaren Mchinolfi's version of the bill. It's a
member's bill that Karen's put up. And as you say,
it's got a bit of a change from my failed
attempt in December, which my failed attempt was actually addressing
the problems you just mentioned in You and You're Opening.
They're talking about whether the confusion is being addressed or

(01:07):
not of who is and isn't open and who can trade.
That's not actually being addressed in this version that Karen's
been through the house. Karen's addressing the one of the
elements in my bill, which was also addressing, which is
the you know, the fantalization of kids when people when
treating them like kids when they want to go and

(01:28):
with their friends and family out to enjoy a meal
and a drink without having all the confusing rules about
how long you must be there before you can eat
something and what you must eat before you can drink.
That's just silly rules. But yeah, unfortunately it doesn't touch
on the confusing hodgepodge mishmash of rules around the country
that tell businesses whether they can and can't open, whether

(01:51):
employees are must work or can have the day off.
That sort of stuff isn't being addressed. But look, it's
a good change. And as you say, many people have
tried and failed because maybe biting off more than we
can chew. But I think just yeah, that was my question.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
His ambitions aren't particularly lofty. Pretty much, it's just about
being able to have a drink without having to order
about five plates of chips or whatever. Is that the
key to a success. It's you know, softly, softly, catchy
monkey sort of thing.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Well, I had to go at trying to actually fix
what many people see as the problem. And look, when
I was pushing my bill last year, I went around
the country. I met with lots of businesses, employees, I
heard tons of stories from different rules around the country.
I lobbied other MPs hard to say why wouldn't you
change these rules? There was a lot of There was

(02:46):
a lot of work done here and not just from me.
There are other MPs across the House who thought this
change was a sensible change and came in and supported
and talked to colleagues and businesses and groups around the country.
So there was a lot of work done last year,
and so you know, it's great to have so soon
on the heels of that effort to have a bill

(03:07):
like this across So the arguments have been getting bandied
around the House for a while. So I think when
you say by this is this is just just an
addressing line issue, a little nibble. It's not going to
be the change that ends that. You know, people will
think this is going to change the rules in their area.

(03:27):
It's not. If your business can open, which right now
isn't It is not a uniform across the country. Then
it will remove those trading restrictions, but it won't actually
open businesses around the country that are otherwise closed in
the area when they want to trade.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, just quickly, what do you reckon? Is it going
to is it going to win the day or conscience
votes are going to do us in again.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Well, it's funny you say it is a conscience vote bill.
Mine was also a conscience vote and it was block
voted down by New Zealand. My bill was block voted
down by New Zealand first Labor Green's antiparty Mali. But
it's interesting, you say, well, the Conchin spoke get up
this time Green the Labor Party did actually split their

(04:14):
votes up on Karen's bill. So they so they voted
with a large proportion in favor and a large proportion against.
So along with the members of the House who really
were more consistent when you're voting on my bill on December,
it got up. So look, I've got I'm going to
be out there saying it's a great idea. No, don't

(04:37):
mean I'm not trying to sound like it. It's a
great thing. And I think and I'll be going around
to the members that I that I everybody just live
and saying this is a good bill, we should be
supporting it.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
Excellent. I appreciate your time this morning, Cameron. Well we'll
just have to wait and see whyn't we.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
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