By James Atkinson
NSW liquor retailers have welcomed a state government move to reinstate the right of bottleshops to choose to open for trade on Boxing Day.
Liquor Stores Association NSW CEO Terry Mott said the announcement by NSW finance minister Greg Pearce lifting the Boxing Day ban was a "win for consumers and a step in the right direction".
But unlike other states such as Victoria, Mott said there is no such liberalisation for trading on Easter Sunday, "when identical packaged liquor sales through hotel bottle shops are exempt from these restrictions, as hotel bottle shops can continue to trade".
"This continues to make a mockery of a liberal and free trade environment in NSW," he said.
Mott called for the government to bring NSW legislation in line with other states such as Victoria and allow all retailers to choose if they wish to open on both Boxing Day and Easter Sunday.
It may be in the interests of the customers of retailers to open their stores on Boxing Day but also consider the wellbeing of the employees. Many employees working for the large retailers are pressured to the point of bullying to work open to close on public holidays to minimise costs & maximise profits for their employer (at what cost to the employee?).
As an employee who has enjoyed a 2 day Christmas break for the last 2 years if is very sad news to learn that the return to the one day Christmas break is imminent.