Save Our Sundays - Excuses on Sunday Shopping

This weeks column in The Weekly Press

Behind Politics

By Jim Hnatiuk

Here in Nova Scotia, I do remember that “the people” voted “NO!” to Sunday shopping.

While Western provinces shopped, Maritimers had different priorities. Nova Scotians, while accused of being out-of-step with the times, have stated clearly that they have values beyond their role as consumers. They value their family time, community involvement, their need of down-time, and see the high cost to the environment of a consumer-focused lifestyle.

Most government workers, including school teachers, cherish their weekends.

A 2004 plebiscite confirmed that the majority of Nova Scotians still did not want Sunday shopping.

Not to be constrained by a democratic decision, big business and big retailers used loopholes to challenge the law. Then, in October of 2006, the N.S. Supreme Court allowed Premier MacDonald to lift the Sunday shopping ban. According to the April 25th edition of the Weekly Press, Mr. Wayne Fiander, Conservative Candidate, reportedly defended the government’s decision to override the voters.

Democracy is defined in the Gage Canadian Dictionary as: “a government.…periodically elected and thus controlled by the people… (who) rule… by direct vote...”.

The government’s duty was to close the loopholes to uphold the expressed will of the majority, not to side with big business. So what happened? Either we have a government without backbone, or one that is making choices for the people.

Let it be known that democracy is not based, as Mr. Fiander reportedly expressed, on a “free economy with shoppers and business people making their own choice”, regardless of how the people of Nova Scotia voted. That is anarchy.

Nova Scotia voted NO – that’s democracy. Excuses, regardless of how well worded, are the nails used to build a house of failure and Nova Scotia deserves better.

Jim Hnatiuk is the NS President and Deputy Leader of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada (CHP)