Unfree to shop

Even as a Liberal Party member, I can hardly deny that the WA Libs deserved to lose yesterday’s election. With their crackpot canal scheme and budget figures that did not add up they sacrificed the fiscal responsibility that is one of the Liberals’ core perceptions advantages over Labor.

But I am very disappointed that the shop trading hours referendum has been defeated.

Mind you, they were rigged questions:

Question 1 Do you believe that the Western Australian community would benefit if trading hours in the Perth Metropolitan Area were extended to allow general retail shops to trade until 9 pm Monday to Friday?
Question 2 Do you believe that the Western Australian community would benefit if trading hours in the Perth Metropolitan Area were extended to allow general retail shops to trade for 6 hours on Sunday?

This is not actually a question about whether the voters would prefer longer trading hours; it is a rare case of a government asking voters’ opinion on the likely sociological effects of a policy change. It would be quite possible to in some vague way think that it might not be good for ‘the community’, but still object to being told by the state when you can and cannot buy things. To celebrate my Victorian freedom this Sunday afternoon, I am going shopping.