YES! to INDIVIDUAL CHOICE: Everyone should have a choice when it comes to Sunday shopping! But in order for Some people to have their freedom of choice, it is important that they respect Other peoples freedom of choice as well. Those who do not wish to shop (on Any day of the week) have no right to impose their choices on others. And vice versa. That's why Political Referendums, and "local options" will never be able to accomodate everyone's choice. With freedom of choice, consumers can "vote" with their dollars Every Day Of The Week! What could be more fair than that?	YES! to FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Recently, retailers have actually been charged for allowing the public to "browse" in their stores and shops on a Sunday. As absurd as it may seem, Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act effectively makes it illegal to "discuss the sale" of items that are prohibited from being sold on Sundays. A visit to your local gardening centre during the summer, for example, may reveal posted signs on lawn furniture and certain home gardening accessories that say something like: "Sorry, we are not permitted to discuss the sale of this item on a Sunday." Should talking about patio furniture be considered a crime?
YES! to SELF-RESPONSIBILITY: Freedom of choice and responsibility go hand in hand. No matter what choice individual retailers or consumers may make with respect to sunday shopping, the benefits or consequences are theirs to reap. One person's freedom of choice, when responsibly ecercised, Never imposes an undue obligation on others. Retailers and consumers who choose not to participate in Sunday shopping are doing so out of conviction. Let's make sure their personal "convictions" don't result in the legal "convictions of others!	YES! to FREE ENTERPRISE: It's funny how there are so many more prople who Talk "free enterprise" than there are people who actually Practice it. It's funny because among the biggest Opponents to Sunday shopping are business groups and retailers themselves, including many who claim to uphold the principle of free enterprise. Still, they want the government to interfere with the peaceful operation of businesses that do not belong to them, and are lobbying politicians to fine and jail honest, peaceful businesspeople who merely happen to view their business obligations to their customers differently. If you believe in True free enterprise, then be aware that those businesses lobbying to deprive YOU, the consumer, of your right to choose, are your enemies adopting a misdirected and dangerous course of action, not your friends. They want to restrict the businesses who prefer to serve you on your terms, while demanding special privilege protecting them from competition ... and that's NOT free enterprise. The "free" in "free enterprise" refers to Freedom From Government Intervention and from the Political Intervention of ones fellow citizens.
YES! to PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS: Sunday closing laws violate fundamental principles of private property rights. Certain retailers are being told that, every Sunday, they will not be permitted to exercise their right to the peaceful use of their property. Think about it. How would You feel if someone suggested you should not be allowed to turn on your TV set or drive your car on a Sunday? When politicians can tell retailers what to do with their property, simply by "passing a law", then there's nothing to stop them from "passing a law" to prevent You from using Your property. Like homes, retail stores belong to their Owners, not to anyone else.	YES! to THE FAMILY: There's no doubt that there are many families who prefer to spend their Sundays as a day of rest, but consider this: There are also families who like to Shop together; there are families who like to Work together; and there are even families whose members would rather have nothing to do with each other. And let's not forget, there are families who Depend on the income they earn on Sundays. Just like individuals, families have differing needs, preferences, and lifestyles. Freedom of choice accomodates Every family.
YES! to INDIVIDUAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW: Justice demands that Every citizen be treated equally before the law. No matter how you look at it, Sunday closing laws just don't work. With all the exceptions, regulations, and selective restrictions outlined in Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act, there isn't a person alive who could reasonably argue that the law is "equally bearing upon all." And the only standard that fills that bill is called Freedom Of Choice. Let's be fair to everyone and abolish the Retail Business Holidays Act! Even if 99% of Ontario Consumers refuse to shop on Sunday, that's no reason to treat the remaining 1% like "criminals".	YES! to COMMON SENSE: Some people believe that the freedom to shop on Sundays will "force" retailers and their employees to work on Sundays. It just isn't so. The idea that one's commitments, responsibilities and obligations constitute "force" is not only misleading, but entirely inappropriate and improper. People who choose to work in retail have Obligated Themselves to serving the customer, not the reverse. And that kind of "obligation" is what Self-Responsibility is all about! There are other prople who seem to believe that Sunday shopping will mean that retailers and their employees will be forced to work seven days a week! It just isn't so. Just because Stores may happen to be open seven days a week doesn't mean that people will have to work "seven-days-a-week". Just as now, most people will have Two days per week on which they will not have to work. Better still, for in retail, Sunday openings can provide a greater margin of flexibility in scheduling of work hours. That means retail employees who have not been able to have Two Days Off In A Row, because of forced Sunday closings, may now have that option. Common sense scheduling along with an increase in the work force, will usually see to it that even those who work on weekends will have the opportunity to book many of their weekends off. And always remember freedom of choice means that any retailers who want to remain closed on Sundays still have the freedom to make that choice. In fact, they can close their stores on Any day of the week.
YES! to FREEDOM OF RELIGION: On December 18, 1986, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Ontario's Sunday closing laws represented a "justifiable" infringement of our Freedom Of Religion, even though Seventh Day Adventists, Jews, Moslems, Atheists, and Agnostics (among others) are not Sunday worshippers. When the ruling was announced, many church groups and religious leaders actually applauded the decision. Worse, some have even organized to Fight Against freedom of choice in Sunday shopping by favouring a law that openly violates Freedom Of Religion! Imagine that! Among many other things, individual freedom depends upon a clear separation of church and state. Remember, no one is being asked to give up their faith or the practice of their religious convictions. Freedom of choice merely requires us to respect the right of others to Their beliefs and convictions. People with differing religious convictions and people with no religious faith have a right to their freedom of choice too. After all, that's what Freedom Of Religion is all about!	YES! to INDIVIDUALISM: Imagine a world where every store opened at the same time, sold the same products, charged the same prices, looked the same, and was run by people who all acted the same. What a terrible world that would be. Thank goodness we live in a society enhanced by individuality, variety, and difference. Isn't that what the Sunday shopping issue is really all about?
YES! to FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Ontario's Sunday closing laws not only prevent customers from freely associating with retailers, but they also limit the number of staff allowed to serve the customer on Sundays. But there's no reason why those who Want to work Sundays (students, the unemployed, those with obligations on other days of the week) should be denied the right to that choice as well. Similarly, those who want to Shop on Sundays have rights too. At least that's the way things Should be.	YES! to A NEW CHOICE, NOW! All Three of Ontario's traditional political parties are Opposed to freedom of choice in Sunday shopping. They believe that someone other than You should have the right to control Your choice on a Sunday. Even so, David Peterson and Joan Smith are Right when they say that Sunday shopping shouldn't be a political matter. And our municipal leaders are also Right when they say that Sunday shopping shouldn't be a Municipal matter. Unfortunately, they all believe the choice belongs to anyone but you! Freedom Party believes that the Purpose Of Government is to Protect our Freedom Of Choice, Not to restrict it. Whether you're a Retailer, an Employee, or a Customer, when it comes to when you shop, it should be Your choice ... even on a Sunday!

FREEDOM PARTY BELIEVES THAT THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE, NOT TO RESTRICT IT.

"I'M PROUD TO BE THE ONLY CANDIDATE IN THE UPCOMING LONDON NORTH BYELECTION SUPPORTING FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN SUNDAY SHOPPING"

- BARRY MALCOLM, FP CANDIDATE, LONDON NORTH

THIS ADVERTISEMENT WAS PAID FOR BY MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE FREEDOM PARTY OF ONTARIO, INCLUDING:

Lloyd Walker, Robert Smeenk, Murray Hopper, Chris Baker, Gordon Deans, David Hogg, Mark Pettigrew, Dean Hodgins, David Bawden, John Cossar, Lynda Doberstein, Paul Dinardo, Frederick Dreyer, Mark Elms, William Frampton, Ian Gillespie, Mary Lou Gutcher, Andrea Hanington, Doreen Kimura, Sandra Chrysler, Lois Mood, Tony Panos, M.D., Wendy and Mike Patterson, Steven Sharpe, David Southen, Robert Vaughan, Kathleen Yurcich, Lili Cummins, Peter Vandenberg, Chris Doty, Greg Jones, Andrew Boyle, Ray Monteith, C. Richard Fagley, Brendalynn Metz, Linda and John Runge, Lawrence Mood, Aldo Viola, David Kohlsmith, David Pengelly.

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Page last updated on April 28, 2002