"The government put forth Bill 61 yesterday and has said that it will go through the House of Assembly and become law before January," said Thistle. "This is evidence of the government’s lack of respect for the democratic process. The Minister has spoken out in the media and through a press release stating that he isn’t worried about any public backlash and doesn’t feel the need to do consultations.

"The government has been very arrogant on this issue over the past two days. There is no need to ram these changes down the throats of the public this week and the Minister should remember his own party’s election commitments to openness and accountability. Putting a Bill before the House on Monday and expecting it to pass on Tuesday without debate or public scrutiny is far from being transparent."

The Liberal MHA feels that consultations are necessary to determine if the public is in favour of such a move. "Members of our caucus would like to have time to consult with constituents before entering debate.

"Members of the PC caucus voted unanimously against a Bill put forth in the House several years ago to allow for Sunday shopping. Surely they would want to take a brief period to consult with the public to determine the current position of their constituents before moving forward."