Family First start Easter campaign

The poster for Family First's 'Keep the Easter Culture' campaign where they are asking shops to stay closed. Photo/ Supplied.

Family First have started a campaign against the new law of allowing local authorities to decide whether they want to trade on Easter Sunday.

The campaign, Keep the Easter Culture, is about notifying customers and their community that they are putting their families first by not working.

Family First president Bob McCroskie said many businesses throughout New Zealand would be closing for Easter Sunday and giving families a break.

The organisation believed economic improvement needed to be finely balanced with family and community time.

Anzac Day, Easter and Christmas remain as the few times when the country stops and takes a break.

"This is not an issue about choice as has also been argued. For many workers, they don't have the luxury of choice as to whether they work or not. Coercion to work will be a very real threat."

Mr McCroskie said tourists would cope and many countries over the world had public holidays with shops closed.

"Tourists can plan around it and accept it as part of the local culture and identity."

"We should keep the Easter culture. New Zealanders deserve the break."

Hawke's Bay Regional Dean of Waiapu Reverend David van Oeveren was also concerned about the decision to allow trading on the religious significant holiday.

Mr Van Oeveren said that Easter Sunday held Christian importance as it was about resurrection, hope and new life.

"It also has societal importance like our other Christian holidays and there are only really two days in the year where families and communities can be together without the pressure of work. New Zealand seems to be decreasing the time spent with families and friends."

According to Statistics New Zealand and the 2013 census 42.29 per cent of Hawke's Bay's population were still registered Christians.

To break this down the Wairoa District has 48.5 per cent, Wairoa city has 47.5 per cent, the Hastings District has 47 per cent, Napier has 44 per cent, the Central Hawke's Bay District has 48 per cent with Waipukurau having 49.6 per cent and Waipawa 42.5 per cent.