Visitors to Wanaka will have to wait to see if shops will be open for business tomorrow and on Sunday.
Wanaka Chamber of Commerce president Leigh Stock said yesterday the chamber's opposition to Easter trading laws was well known, but he would never condone breaking the law.
‘‘We obviously don't actively entice our members to break the law. The law may be an ass. The fact that Queenstown can trade and Wanaka can't is still a sore point,'' Mr Stock said.
Mr Stock said the chamber got right behind two law change proposals that had not made it through Parliament and perhaps it was time for politicians to do more.
‘‘It is an election year. We are talking with a fairly strong voice down here.''
It was not a good look when a town shut up shop to thousands of visitors for the Easter break.
Department of Labour communications adviser Iain McLean said yesterday inspectors would be operating throughout the country, ‘‘so any shop that is operating in contravention of the law could be visited''.
There were no prosecutions in 2007 for Wanaka, as inspectors did not visit the town. In 2006 there were eight prosecutions All businesses were convicted and discharged, without further penalty.
In 2005, there were eight prosecutions but the DOL could not provide at short notice yesterday the outcomes.