Shops closed for Easter - isn't it long overdue a change?

Forums › Off topic › Shops closed for Easter - isn't it long overdue a change?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

705 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 659

Trusted

#3478394 6-Apr-2026 11:03

Lias:

roobarb:

We have licensing laws, zoning laws, restrictions on sales of certain classes of goods, and many many other restrictions. Every day you can't just do what you want to do.

Most of the laws you quoted should be removed or drastically curtailed as well. Less nanny state, less collectivism, more individual freedoms.

We have licensing laws because society has had to repeatedly deal with drunken behaviour, and these laws are a collective response.

We have zoning laws so somebody can't set up a chemical factory or pig farm in a residential area

Drugs, tobacco, firearms, fireworks, medicines are all restricted, each for acceptable reasons.

What are these "freedoms" that you claim you are being denied?

If the answer is "I can't go to the shop when I want", then I am sure you could apply for political asylum somewhere else.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19071 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16318

Lifetime subscriber

#3478395 6-Apr-2026 11:05

Somehow I just can't convince myself that society will collapse if shopkeepers are allowed to decide for themselves whether to open on Sunday.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

roobarb

705 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 659

Trusted

#3478397 6-Apr-2026 11:10

Rikkitic:

Somehow I just can't convince myself that society will collapse if shopkeepers are allowed to decide for themselves whether to open on Sunday.

It isn't so much the owners of the store, its the shop workers who have little say when they are rostered on. We don't have a classless society, those at the bottom get the rough end of the stick every time. This, along with the surcharge, is an attempt to redress that. Fortunately society has not collapsed when those workers were taken into consideration.

mudguard

2327 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1250

#3478398 6-Apr-2026 11:11

Rikkitic:

I don't get whataboutist arguments like society will collapse if someone doesn't take charge of things. Of course there has to be regulation. But it doesn't have to be everywhere. My guiding principle is that regulation should only be applied where the consequences of not doing so are too horrible to contemplate. Driving on an agreed side of the road, for example. But it is not needed to dictate things like people's shopping days. Everyone is not going to suddenly cram into the shops on three days of the year. Once people get used to it, there probably wouldn't be much difference at all.

But that comes back to my point, if you start letting a business choose if they want to open on public holidays then I suspect it will be like seven day trading, it just becomes the norm.

SaltyNZ

8869 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9554

Trusted

2degrees

Lifetime subscriber

#3478405 6-Apr-2026 11:55

Lias:

roobarb:

We have licensing laws, zoning laws, restrictions on sales of certain classes of goods, and many many other restrictions. Every day you can't just do what you want to do.

Most of the laws you quoted should be removed or drastically curtailed as well. Less nanny state, less collectivism, more individual freedoms.

You know how every year you have to do one of those ethics / corporate behaviour refresher courses and they say things like 'Examples of unacceptable behaviour may include dressing in a mankini like Borat and peeing directly into the secretary's coffee cup, or having drunken relations up against the wall during the CEO's end of financial year speech web cast to the company around the globe' and you think to yourself ... why do they need to tell me this?

The answer is that someone did those things and got away with it due to the lack of an explicit rule against them.

The "nanny state" exists because people are selfish idiots. Every regulation is written in blood.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3478406 6-Apr-2026 11:56

Rikkitic:

Somehow I just can't convince myself that society will collapse if shopkeepers are allowed to decide for themselves whether to open on Sunday.

Nor can I see any significant benefit in changing the status quo.

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19071 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16318

Lifetime subscriber

#3478407 6-Apr-2026 12:08

Handle9:

Rikkitic:

Somehow I just can't convince myself that society will collapse if shopkeepers are allowed to decide for themselves whether to open on Sunday.

Nor can I see any significant benefit in changing the status quo.

As I have previously stated, I don't think it makes any real difference either way. I just don't see the purpose of regulating things that don't need it. It is bad in principle. And there is no need to rake up phony arguments about the poor exploited working masses. There are already adequate legal protections in place and if they are not already being properly enforced, adding more won't make any difference.

The benefit is letting people make their own choices. That is not a bad thing.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Handle9

11927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9683

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3478412 6-Apr-2026 12:48

Rikkitic:

Handle9:

Nor can I see any significant benefit in changing the status quo.

As I have previously stated, I don't think it makes any real difference either way. I just don't see the purpose of regulating things that don't need it. It is bad in principle. And there is no need to rake up phony arguments about the poor exploited working masses. There are already adequate legal protections in place and if they are not already being properly enforced, adding more won't make any difference.

The benefit is letting people make their own choices. That is not a bad thing.

There's no real benefit so there is no reason to change anything. There are far more important things to worry about.

roobarb

705 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 659

Trusted

#3478414 6-Apr-2026 12:56

It is almost like watching democracy in action

Bill to ease holiday alcohol restrictions passes in Parliament

McAnulty said it was clear there was not a majority in Parliament to amend the Easter Trading laws themselves, something he himself was opposed to amending, and so he was not seeking to change them.

"A small degree of restriction for a few days to reinforce shared traditions and values is a very small price to pay."

When I first arrived in NZ you had to order a "Notional Pie" in a pub to drink on Sundays.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19071 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16318

Lifetime subscriber

#3478417 6-Apr-2026 13:24

Handle9:

There's no real benefit so there is no reason to change anything. There are far more important things to worry about.

The topic poses a question. The question invites an answer. I answered. Not worried at all.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

mattwnz

20520 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4797

#3478527 6-Apr-2026 15:45

Why do people need to access physical shops everyday? But the fact that online stores aren’t required to shows double standards and outdated laws, because a fully self service physical store for example couldn’t remain open.

Apple TV

Stream your favourite shows now on Apple TV (affiliate link).

nitro

761 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 338

#3478538 6-Apr-2026 16:50

mattwnz:

Why do people need to access physical shops everyday? But the fact that online stores aren’t required to shows double standards and outdated laws, because a fully self service physical store for example couldn’t remain open.

i have bought a lot of things online over the last 3 decades. i recall none of them having been processed on a weekend, definitely not on a sunday. the same is true for public holidays (country of jurisdiction applies for international orders). just because the online shopping portal is open on easter sunday does not mean there's a minimum wage earner who can't take the time off on that day.

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2175

Subscriber

#3478539 6-Apr-2026 16:53

Rikkitic:

And there is no need to rake up phony arguments about the poor exploited working masses. There are already adequate legal protections in place and if they are not already being properly enforced, adding more won't make any difference.

Easy to say once you're retired.

Something I didn't realise is if the shop you work at is not open on a Sunday due to the holiday, you don't get paid for it unless you take leave, even if its your normally scheduled day.

OldGeek

989 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 409

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3478540 6-Apr-2026 17:19

lxsw20:

Easy to say once you're retired.

Something I didn't realise is if the shop you work at is not open on a Sunday due to the holiday, you don't get paid for it unless you take leave, even if its your normally scheduled day.

If said Sunday was a public holiday you get paid. Easter Sunday is not a public holiday. Easter Monday is.

--

OldGeek.

Quic referal code: https://account.quic.nz/refer/581402 and use this code for free setup: R581402E48MJA

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2175

Subscriber

#3478555 6-Apr-2026 18:43

Which is a bit crap if you're a part time student or something.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9