Sunday shopping Nova Scotia Election

I'm wondering if any of you have forgotten that our premier Rodney MacDonald took our right to vote away? I'm wondering if you remember how he took our family day away? He also blamed the courts by allowing Sunday shopping. Do you want this man to govern this province? How about the Liberals..Stephen MacNeil wants to give us a family day in February. They took 52 family days away and they want to give us one back. Something wrong with that picture isn't it?
Check out the court decision..why isn't the media telling you what really happened?
http://www.saveoursundays.ca/modules.php?name=News&file=article...
Does big business control all of us? Think about it.
Please listen to what I have to say. I encourage all of you to speak out. Men and woman fought in wars so that we could have that right to vote. Other people in other countries don't have a right to vote. We should be extremely upset with Rodney MacDonald ! The conservatives promised us they would respect the plebiscite vote. Broken promise..one after another.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHhDLGJaBlM

Tags: bolivar, carolyn, election, lighthouse, macdonald, ndp, nova, our, publishing, rodney

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Permalink Reply by Kim Nichols on May 24, 2009 at 11:30am: I do understand your point of view but in an ever changing society where people work various days and hours....Sunday shopping makes sense. Unfortunately, not everyone has a Monday to Friday job. Alot of people work Saturday and can use Sunday to shop with their family or for their family. I am not a big fan of things being open on Sundays as it is a nice day of rest but when you are employed in today's society, Sunday is a nice option. Big business does control many things.....that is just the way it is whether we like it or not... We are very fortunate to have a right to vote and I believe every political party has broken a promise at one time.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Carolyn on May 24, 2009 at 12:01pm: I agree with both Kim & Tony....

In businesses such as retail that have until recently stayed closed on Sundays, I feel, from a HUMAN RIGHTS perspective that NO EMPLOYEE should have to work Sundays as mandatory to their job position.. they should be given the choice and this should NOT affect their employment.

This then gives the option of

a) Employees being able to work extra hours if they wish (to bring in extra money)
b) Employees having more flexible working hours- some may actually prefer to work on sundays therefore alleviating the requirement for childcare..
c) Opens up part- time job opportunities as businesses may need to recruit extra workers..
d) Or employees can keep their working hours as they are..

Just my thoughts...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tony Lohnes on May 24, 2009 at 5:51pm: I do understand that we have a ever changing society where people work different shifts. You are correct not everyone works Monday to Friday. Having said that, because one group of people chose to work Week-ends, does it mean everyone else should? If restaurant workers don't like working on Sunday should they be able to dictate to other workers that don't? If any non essential service doesn't want to work Sundays, they have that option of going after government legislation closing them down. We have new laws every day. I would personally stand by these people if they wanted that right. But we were always compared to people who work on Sunday. No one at the bank, post office (gov), Registry of Motor Vehicles etc were ever compared to those who work on Sunday. Just retail workers. Yes Big Business does control things..and I don't like it. I also don't think we should be making comments that we can't do anything about it, because we can. Why should big business control us? We live in a democracy. Concerning the plebiscite. Can we all get together and vote as to whether government offices can be open or not? How unfair was that our whole province decided what was best for the retail sector? Yet we don't have that option of deciding how you spend you're Sundays? You are right about political parties breaking a promise. But this is a serious promise broken. A democratic vote! You can't get anything more serious than that. This is our latest video, please listen to what we have to say. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQftXALFxfs; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tony Lohnes on May 24, 2009 at 6:08pm: Kim, this is where so many people miss the point . If you believe that people aren't forced to work on Sunday, you are totally wrong. I know several people who are working on Sunday and are forced to work. Do you know how they punish people who don't want to work on Sunday? They use the schedule against them and schedule them bad shifts..it could be all evening shifts. They use other reasons to get at the employee. How do I know this? I have been told by managers. Kim, I know a lot of people and this is going on. Far as the extra hours, A store gets so many hours to run that department each week. The same hours to run that store Monday to Saturday is the same from Monday to Sunday. They cut hours through the week to accommodate for Sunday. This is all about putting the corner store out of business. We also have the environment Kim. Are you using those Plastic reusable bags? Why are people trying to save the environment in one way and in the other supporting another day of Sunday shopping with the lights on day and night? Kim, If we have a snow storm on Sunday, when do the people shop? They shop on Saturday and stay home on Sunday. It's time management. If we are going to proceed into the 21st Century we need to think about those things. Far as people being told we can't go back. Why can't we? Is it because the media pounded it in everyone's heads? Over and Over? We can do anything in life if we want it. We just have to get involved. If a democratic vote means nothing. If our families mean nothing... Whats left?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQftXALFxfs; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Carolyn on May 24, 2009 at 6:40pm: Hi Tony- not sure if you were replying to myself (Carolyn) or Kim..

Anyhoo- I don't believe that people are NOT forced to work Sundays...I am sure they are

What I said was

QUOTE- I feel, from a HUMAN RIGHTS perspective that NO EMPLOYEE should have to work Sundays as mandatory to their job position.. they should be given the choice and this should NOT affect their employment.

In the real world this is where the trouble begins- something very similar happened in the UK 10 years or so ago- stores opened Sundays and the government protected the rights of workers so they were not forced to work Sundays. In reality this was not an easy thing to implement..

I would also say that ultimately it is the decision of PEOPLE whether they decide to keep their corner stores stay in business... obviously for some the lure of a big shiny store and cheaper prices will have them burning fossil fuels to do so....and yes you are right..keeping stores open an extra day a week is further pollution/energy consumption etc (which brings me to a whole different conversation on why it really is important for Nova Scotia to invest in clean renewable energy to power not only homes but businesses too)

I personally support my corner store (which is open on Sundays) and do most of my food shopping their as I pass by on my way home....it maybe a little more expensive but I am happy to do without other things to achieve this. It gives local people employment as well as school kids after school and at weekends.

TONY- can you tell me (sorry I can't view your video as I only have dial up) did the people vote to in a plebiscite to keep Sundays a non-working day? What was the outcome? (sorry for my ignorance)....if so are you saying that this decision that was democratically voted by the people was turned around?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tony Lohnes on May 24, 2009 at 10:57pm: Carolyn, I replied to both of you. Yes there was a plebiscite and the voters voted No to Sunday shopping. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1097995359022_1...
Then the issue went to court - http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/2006/10/nova_scotia_lifts_sunday_sh...
This is when Rodney MacDonald opened the doors to Sunday shopping. The next link I'm posting is what the media left out..and what the premier left out. http://www.saveoursundays.ca/modules.php?name=News&file=article...

http://decisions.courts.ns.ca/nssc/2006/2006nssc290.html
On the court web site the Judge clearly quotes the lawyers remarks -"Well, what this application is about is not about social or political considerations. It’s not about the appropriateness of Sunday shopping, nor is it about the power of the legislature to pass an Act dealing with Sunday shopping. This case, this application is about one fact and it is about the scope of the Cabinet’s power to pass Regulations pursuant to the Act."

http://www.mcinnescooper.com/index.cfm?cm=Doc&ce=details&pr...
Quote from this web site " It should be noted that this was not really a case about Sunday shopping, but rather the scope of Cabinet’s power to pass regulations under the Act. The judge ruled that the wording of the Act which gave Cabinet the power to make regulations did not give Cabinet the power to discriminate between different types of businesses by size (i.e. square footage), corporate structure or the kinds of goods and services offered."

The media remained silent about it..our premier blamed the poor judge for allowing it. Yes our premier our dictator decided what was best for us., This is why I'm upset about this whole thing. If a democratic vote means nothing...if our families mean nothing...what is left? If we are afraid to speak out what is left. I hope that Nova Scotians listen to what I have to say and vote this party out of office. There are people that are not going to vote because of this. I was told this " I voted in the Sunday shopping plebiscite and the government turned around and did what they wanted to , so I'm not going to vote any more". I'm getting a lot of that..and I think it is sad. This man has got to go.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim Nichols on May 31, 2009 at 10:38am: I think your one reply about Sunday shopping being mandatory was directed at Carolyn ....you directed it towards, myself, Kim....

Anyways, in a perfect world, I agree with Carolyn's comments, however, being it is a not a so perfect place we share, the unfortunate part is I agree with Tony that people are punished and it does become a huge problem for employees who choose not to work on Sundays. I hear all but with Sunday shopping available all over most of Canada and US...it is unavoidable and now that it is here they will never turn back the hands of time.

Today is Sunday and I am glad there is Sunday shopping. I woke up this morning with no water and the problem is my pressure switch sooooooo...off I go to the one store which is open Sundays and carries the required part so that I can change it and have water which enables me to complete my Sunday chores....such as laundry and meals. Happy Sunday!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tony Lohnes on June 1, 2009 at 7:49am: ***Anyways, in a perfect world, I agree with Carolyn's comments, however, being it is a not a so perfect place we share, the unfortunate part is I agree with Tony that people are punished and it does become a huge problem for employees who choose not to work on Sundays. I hear all but with Sunday shopping available all over most of Canada and US...it is unavoidable and now that it is here they will never turn back the hands of time.****

Kim, I glad you can see that workers are being punished..but to put you're hands up in the air and say oh well isn't the right course to take is it? You among other people are telling us we can not go back in time..why? Because the media told you over and over that if it came in we can't go back. Our media is ran by big corporations and of course they are going to give you that line so you don't fight to get it back. Canada and the USA once apon a time thought it was cool to smoke. Guess what , just because everyone is doing it, doesn't make it right. You are right on one account the world is not perfect, that's why we try to do something about it, instead of throwing our arms up in the air.

**Today is Sunday and I am glad there is Sunday shopping. I woke up this morning with no water and the problem is my pressure switch sooooooo...off I go to the one store which is open Sundays and carries the required part so that I can change it and have water which enables me to complete my Sunday chores....such as laundry and meals. Happy Sunday!**
There is a thing called Time management and guess what if we were to have a major snow storm...I'm sure you would be home and not on the roads. We survived with out Sunday shopping, and I have seen the stores closed for three days in a row. If you need a dentist on a Sunday there is no one to be found. How about a government office, they remain closed. Guess what? We survive until Monday when they are open. We have a long way to go to the 21st Century..it's all about money and the heck with our families. Tell me Kim are you one of those people who go to the stores and take you're own plastic bags to save the environment? Yet destroy it by shopping another day? Sunday shopping hasn't done anything for you. It hasn't done anything for anyone. Are the prices any cheaper? It's costing all of us more money to have these stores open all the time.; ▶ Reply to This