Further Behind...

Here we are again, WA falling further behind the rest of Australia as the rest of the nation moves into daylight savings time. Just like the good old days. My curtains can rest easy, my cows will be settled and the kids will be in bed on time. Brilliant. I'm sick to death of the state of WA living in denial that they are a part of the rest of Australia. Not moving our clocks ahead an hour has far more problems associated with it than biting the bullet and just going with it.
In a time when financial markets are not quite out of the water, I'm sure people in the market are far from pleased at starting an hour earlier as the Australian Stock Exchange now closes an hour earlier. And its hard enough dealing with eastern states businesses but having to have any orders in or problems addressed by 2pm is rediculous. Now lets look at the TAB. At the start of the much celebrated Spring Carnival, most pubs which open at 10am now miss out on an hour of racing, while WA races start an hour earlier to make sure they are finished before pubs close in the east. That's a hell of a lot of tax that the state misses out on. Couple that with lost revenue on interstate trading, tourism and drinking time, NOT having daylight savings is costing WA a heap. Finally, when there is a bit of swell around in summer, the sea breeze comes in an hour earlier and messes it up all up again, just as we're finishing work. Thanks Nannas of the Nanny State, you've ruined my summer.

But I'm not finished with WA yet. Trading hours have again been in the headlines, and once again extensions were knocked back in Parliament. Eric Ripper apparently spoke to thousands of small business owners to ask their opinions and apparently got a resounding no. Really? The exact results and numbers have not been published, and I'm sure never will be because they're bullshit. It never happened, and now poor old Colinn Barnett is hoping for an 8pm compromise.
Have you ever had a call at 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning inviting you to a barbie? Great idea. Just head down to Woolies, grad some snags, chops, a salad, rolls, chips and soft drink, then pop into the bottlo in the same complex on the way out for a slab and some ice and away you go. Hang on... How about we make 4 stops, pay twice as much, and finally find a bottle shop attached to a pub somewhere then turn up late, miss half the cricket then have to head inside the house because the sun has gone down? Absurd.
The argument is all about this mythical catchphrase of work/life balance and families and how the old days were better. Have a look at the system used in Queensland. Major shopping centres (Westfields etc) are open 7 days a week. Sunday trading is 10am - 4pm, and only the one night a week (Thursday) of late night shopping. Stand alone Woolies and Coles open 7 days a week, just like IGA's, until 9pm on weeknights, 6pm on weekends. Its fantastic. I can work until 5, head to footy training and still get something decent to eat on the way home. I didn't witness the disintergration of society or families breaking up left, right and centre. Perth will never be a dynamic cityif things don't begin to change. And change is not evil. From now on all future referendums should be limited to under 35's as these are the people who will have to live in the dark ages as a result.

Lets hope WA is awarded the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project. That will be proof that we really are the quietest place on earth.