Bunnings the great unAustralian

[Gaza]

at least the government made them not open until 1pm in NSW.

[BobL]

A bit off the point BUT.People going crook about Bunnys and other businesses making money on Anzac day
I live very close to a bowling club.All nice and quiet this morning.A bit after 12.00 cars were coming from everywhere.Out jump the white ants and soon playing Bowls.
Is it Ok for the old farts to play bowls and the CLUB making money,And not the rest of us getting something WE want at a hardware shop and finish that job at home?

Yeah but, but bowls is a sport, and that's OK because that is "Australian"

[corbs]

Depending on what time they opened affects my opinion. If they opened after 12 then I don't really have an issue with it. Locally, the supermarket, fish & chip shop, galleries, land sales office and others all opened at 1300. I saw people from all these businesses at either dawn service or the main march. Respects were paid but not everyone plays two up and drinks rum all day. If they opened normal hour's then my opinion alters significantly.

[Sturdee]

I live very close to a bowling club.All nice and quiet this morning.A bit after 12.00 cars were coming from everywhere.Out jump the white ants and soon playing Bowls.
Is it Ok for the old farts to play bowls and the CLUB making money

I used to work for a private golf club. The Anzac day tradition was:

Strictly no play before 1.00pm, any member disobeying that direction was hauled before the committee and had their membership suspended for a month. I know it happened.

The club made no money on that day as the bar trade did not even cover the additional penalty rates for the staff working. Also the club made a donation to the local RSL equal to the total trade and comp fees received on that day so financially it was a dead loss.

But it satisfied the club's desire to do its civic duty as well as its obligations to its members. Remember the older members were mainly exservicemen who established this tradition.

I knew quite a few clubs who did the same so don't assume that the old folks and their sporting clubs are making money on Anzac day.


Peter.

[Master Splinter]

A store opening (or not) on any particular day should be at the discretion of its management and workers; if there are enough people willing to work and shop on that day - be it ANZAC, Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year, Mouloud, Ganesh Chathurthi or Bathurst 500 - then let them do what they want. Not being retired, my retail therapy times are already constrained by the demands of work and children; two otherwise useful shopping days are already off the calendar because of weird religious festivals involving zombies, so I'd really prefer not to add any more to the list.

[Claw Hama]

As long as workers are not forced to work on public holidays and weekends I think it's fine for them to open and as said above after 12.00 or 1.00 once respects have been paid. But from what I have heard a lot of people get coerced into working public holidays. Once everyone could have Saturday and Sunday off to spend time with there familys but over the years this time has been eroded away and as a consiquence a lot of familys have suffered. How many familys these days sit down for a Sunday baked dinner with the whole family any more? Some but nowhere like the numbers in years gone by. It's just more erosion of our family time and relaxation time, Dad, Mum or both are at work.

[China]

Any business should be able to open when and for how long they choose, it is up to the individual to decide if he/she will patronise that business, ( on the other hand any reason not to shop at Bunnings is a good one)

[69Guitars]

Opinions are like really great pieces of wood, everyone has one. Not shopping or going to a shop anymore because they opened on Anzac Day or Christmas Day etc, wouldn't leave us with many shops to go to for the rest of the year! On Anzac Day pubs are open, casinos,pokies clubs,newsagency's,supermarkets,petrol stations and bunnings.....the list goes on, and we play football. Personally I would rather see someone buying tools or wood at bunnings than getting rotten drunk at a pub and flushing their pay down the pokies, now if anything was to be disrespectful to the Anzacs, that surely would..!!

[Big Shed]

Maybe Bunnings doesn't have that much to be ashamed about if we look at the actions of the Victorian RSL

http://www.theage.com.au/national/po...0425-aitd.html

The dollar rules, even in the RSL, and they don't have to answer to shareholders.

[blonk]

Why bash Bunnings? Just about everything was open after 13:00pm. What about factories, refineries, power stations, etc. They continue to operate and make money, most 365 days a year. Are they un-Australian too? I think Anzac day gets the respect it deserves, but I don't agree that the world needs to stop for everyone. I stopped going out to pubs on Anzac day, because there were too many idiots that thought the idea was getting to drunk to walk and making idiots of themselves. Leave it up to everyone to celebrate (or ignore) in their own way, rather than being told, you must do this, you can't do this, etc. etc.
What did I do yesterday, spent the day working at home, because that's what Anzacs and others have fought to allow me to do. What I want when I want it.

[justinmcf]

hear hear blonk,
very well said.

regards, justin.

[Doc0055]

I marched yesterday. I have no problem with shops etc opening. That is why i served, to preserve our freedom of choice.

[specialist]

Maybe Bunnings doesn't have that much to be ashamed about if we look at the actions of the Victorian RSL

http://www.theage.com.au/national/po...0425-aitd.html

The dollar rules, even in the RSL, and they don't have to answer to shareholders.

No wonder my dad wouldn't have anything at all to do with the rsl, anzac day, or even talk about the war even in general. He wouldn't even apply for any of the benefits that were up for grabs at times.