Keep Easter sacred, plead ex- All Blacks

Two former All Blacks are putting pressure on Pacific Island MPs to vote against law changes that will allow shops to open on Easter Sunday.

Michael Jones and Aiolupotea ( Ofisa) Tonu’u said yesterday that the law change could harm Pacific workers who had church and family obligations on the religious holiday.

They are appealing directly to Pacific MPs to vote against the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill when it returns to Parliament.

The bill will give councils the power to pass bylaws to allow trading on Easter Sunday.

It narrowly passed another hurdle this week, 62 votes to 59.

MPs cast a personal vote, rather than voting along party lines, because of the religious aspect of the legislation.

Two Pacific MPs — National’s Sam Lotu- Iiga and Alfred Ngaro — voted in support. If they switch their votes, the legislation will fail.

Jones i s a devout Christian who refused to play rugby on Sundays. He also has links to the National Party.

However, he was critical of the National- led Government for “interfering with Easter Sunday”.

Jones said yesterday it was an important day in the Christian calendar.

“But 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.”

Tonu’u said people who worked in industries like retail could find themselves rostered to work over Easter.

“This i s going to harm Pacific people who have obligations to their churches, communities and families on Easter Sunday.”

The pair said New Zealanders were guaranteed only three and a half days off work each year — Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Anzac Day — and that should be protected.

“Our community doesn’t want the Government interfering with Easter Sunday,” they said. “We want to keep Sunday special.”

The statement by the two former All Blacks was i ssued by Labour’s Pacific chairman, Jerome Mika.

Labour’s five Pacific MPs — Su’a William Sio, Jenny Salesa, Carmel Sepuloni, Kris Faafoi and Poto Williams — all voted against the bill.

Ngaro defended his vote, saying protections had been built into the law to allow employees to cite religious grounds for taking the day off.

The ultimate decision on whether shops stayed open was up to local authorities, he said, and communities could choose to keep them closed.

Ngaro said not one voter had raised the issue with him.

Aiolupotea Tonu’u