Australian politicians face shopping centre ban

Jan 27, 2010, 2:40 GMT

Sydney - Australian shopping centre owners say politicians campaigning for votes at election time are bad for business and want to bar them entry.

'Politicians don't understand that shopping centres don't exist for their benefit,' Shopping Centre Council of Australia head Milton Cockburn said. 'They're private spaces, they're not public spaces, and they're no different from a bowling alley or a movie theatre or any other private space.'

The council urged Parliament to rule that the shopping mall is a no-go area for politicians.

It alleged politicians had become too lazy to canvas door-to-door as they did in the past and were now accosting voters in the air-conditioned comfort of the shopping centre.

Cockburn said the council had a duty to defend the right of people to shop 'comfortably, conveniently and safely without interference or harassment.'

He denied that the council was being inconsistent in trying to bar politicians from bothering shoppers while taking money from gadget salesmen, charities and market research firms to do the same.

Cockburn also rejected the view that that celebrities hired to draw in crowds were more of an irritant to shoppers than politicians.