This year’s Boxing Day sales could be the last Wollongong sees for some time if Labor is elected next year.
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Just four years after the state government passed legislation allowing shops in Wollongong and other regional areas to open on Boxing Day, Labor plans to turn back the clock and end the practice.
In parliament this week Keira MP and Labor Treasury spokesman Ryan Park said Labor was opposed to stores opening on Boxing Day rather than allowing employees to enjoy the public holiday.
“Labor opposes Boxing Day trading because Labor believes in fairness,” Mr Park said.
“Labor opposes Boxing Day trading because it believes that if it is good for the men and women of this House to have a break on Boxing Day it is also good for the men and women who stock shelves in supermarkets, who man cash registers and who help us get a gift for a family member, friend or loved one.”
Mr Park said Labor would “change the legislation” if it won office in the March 2018 election.
The Keira MP has confirmed to the Mercury the changes would see a return to the pre-2015 conditions where Boxing Day sales were banned in Wollongong and Shellharbour.
The Keira MP said those who had to work on Boxing Day may get some extra income but they also gave up a lot to work the cash registers while those who had a holiday on December 26.
“Having to work on Boxing Day means that those men and women cannot travel any distance to attend family functions on Christmas Day,” he said.
“It means that those men and women also cannot get in their car and drive a few hours to visit friends, family or loved ones on what is traditionally a day of rest and celebration when we gather around to eat leftovers and enjoy being in the company of those we love the most.”
Illawarra Business Chamber executive director Adam Zarth was opposed to the idea of ending the Boxing Day sales in the region.
“The Illawarra Business Chamber supports the continuation of Boxing Day trade across NSW, which enjoys enormous support from retailers and shoppers alike while allowing staff the choice of whether to work during the festive season,” Mr Zarth said.
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“Boxing Day is now one of the busiest trading days of the year for Illawarra retailers, and provides significant economic benefit across the region, particularly in the thriving retail hub of Wollongong.”
Mr Zarth said the 2015 legislation put an end to a “fragmented approach” that saw shops in some parts of the state being able to trade on Boxing Day while others were not allowed.