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Freo Mayor to Premier: 'Stop carping on about retail trading hours'

FREMANTLE Mayor Peter Tagliaferri has hit out at Premier Alan Carpenter for again dragging up the tired debate over extended retail trading hours.

“Frankly, I’m astonished it’s come up yet again and I can’t believe either the State Government or Opposition would actually consider a move towards deregulation,” he said.

“The idea proved to be a major dead fish when brought up at the start of 2007, following in the wake of the 2005 state election when the issue was put to the people.

“The referendum saw a resounding 61.4 per cent no vote on Sunday trading while 58.7 per cent voted no on later weeknight shopping.

“Any backflip now defies all logic and smacks of arrogance – why bother holding the referendum at all?

“It’s reminiscent of the State Government’s insistence we have daylight saving for three years, despite previous public opinion to the contrary.”

Mayor Tagliaferri believes extended trading hours will have a negative impact on Fremantle, Perth and Rockingham.

“It would be detrimental to many small businesses, as shown by the reaction from WA’s independent grocers,” he said.

“There is a large number of family businesses in Fremantle and this is something the port city prides itself on – extended trading hours would put pressure on the family unit and businesses would be forced out of trade.

“The livelihoods of many small retailers could be at stake, which would affect the wide diversity of retailing in Fremantle, especially our numerous specialty stores.”

Mayor Tagliaferri said many family-operated businesses in nearby suburbs would be crippled if large supermarkets and department stores were able to open on Sundays.

“Extended trading hours do not lead to healthy competition; market domination by large retailers actually means less choice and less competition,” he said.

“The Fremantle CBD, Rockingham and Perth currently trade seven days a week and to open up trading hours right across WA would severely impact on our tourism trade… the people who come here are a critical component of our local economy.

“What Premier Carpenter fails to understand is that WA doesn’t have a population to sustain extended retail hours like Melbourne and Sydney does.

“And he’s completely failed to address where all the extra staff are going to come from – businesses are desperately struggling to fill positions as it is and I can’t see how extending retail trading hours are going to improve the situation; it will just make it worse.”

Mayor Tagliaferri said there had been no demonstrated need for deregulation and the large multinationals would be the only businesses receiving any benefits.

“There is plenty of choice when it comes to shopping already,” he said. “Allowing multinationals to smother the market would simply see the end of the average person making a go of his or her small business, as has happened time and again.

“The Premier needs to stop carping on about this non-issue and would be better placed helping West Australians with something they DO want, not something they’ve said they don’t want.”