Ex-ABs support Easter Sunday

Labour has enlisted two former All Blacks in a bid to take down legislation which would let shops open on Easter Sundays.

Michael Jones and Aiolupotea Tonu’u have called on Pacific MPs to vote against the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill, saying it would stop some in the pacific community from spending the religious holiday with their church and families.

The legislation would allow local councils to decide whether or not to open their doors on Easter Sunday. The bill narrowly passed its most recent test by 62 votes to 59.

Jones, a devout Christian who did not play test matches on Sundays during his career, said in a statement that Easter Sunday was an important day in the Christian calendar.

‘‘If the Government’s reforms go ahead many New Zealanders will miss out on the opportunity to spend Easter Sunday with their church, their communities and their families.

‘‘Our community doesn’t want the Government interfering with Easter Sunday. We want to keep Sunday special.’’

Tonu’u said people working in industries like the retail sector could be rostered on to work Easter Sunday against their wishes.

‘‘This is going to harm Pacific people who have obligations to their churches, communities and families on Easter Sunday.’’

Jones has backed the National Party in the past, endorsing John Key before the 2008 election.

Labour’s Pacific sector chairman Jerome Mika said the Government was ‘‘naive’’ to promise that workers would be able to refuse a shift on Easter Sunday, given past treatment from employers.

‘‘We know from experience that people who refuse work for church, community or family reasons are often punished with things like reduced hours.

Retail New Zealand supports the ‘‘liberalisation’’ the bill provides. It should be up to businesses to decide for themselves whether they wanted to open on any day of the year, spokesman Greg Harford says.

‘‘Generally our position is the Government, in the 21st century, should not be deciding when shops can and can’t open,’’ he says.

The reason for their position was that many customers want to shop at a time that suits them, and ‘‘convenience is key’’.