Boxing Day trade restrictions a blast from the past

In a broader sense, it's dubious whether Government has any role at all imposing legal constraints on businesses trading with willing customers on not just Boxing Day, but any day of the year.

Ideally, it would be up to retailers, not Government, to set their own arrangements with employees and lessors in the way that best capitalises on consumer demands based on their own individual circumstances.

The dividend of paring back the straightjacket of regulated trading hours would be shared across the entire retail industry.

Until then, the SDA should realise campaigning for a return to a bygone era will not pass muster in an era when consumers are demanding greater convenience and choice than ever before.

That means advocating for a regulatory framework that balances fair pay and conditions with the imperative of increasing employment and promoting growth in a sector that accounts for more than 5 per cent of our national wealth every year.