There is the lazy Sunday, tucked in bed with breakfast. There is the Sunday on a sports field, braving the crisp morning air. The Sunday at church among your friends, and a Sunday for exploration. 

Sunday, by right of its placing in the week – in the weekend – holds a conclusive air. It is the end, and it is an end that is treasured. 

The Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce penalty rates, including those on Sunday, was passed out last week, directly influencing the hospitality, retail and pharmaceutical sector.

This was partly due to the Commission’s findings surrounding a downsize in services, staff and hours on the Sunday. 

These are sectors that demand long, intensive hours, which often include physical labour, and it has hit the lowest-paid workers in the employment sector. 

For regional towns such as Goulburn, that rely on the hospitality and retail sector, there are many questions as to how this will impact the economy.

We could see a slow transition into a casual-based workforce, as casual employees’ pay was not reduced in the recent decision. 

Former Labor senator Dr Ursula Stephen’s comments about putting money back into the community is extremely important in this national discussion.

The government needs to continue encouraging residents, of every town, to spend money back into the local economy.

If people feel strained about the amount of money they have and can spend, this will eventually impact the prosperity of a region. 

But further than this, a seed of mistrust has been planted among the people.

As more decisions are passed at the State and Federal level that do not reflect the will of the people, the more fractured our once healthy diplomacy will be. 

People will tune out and transform into independent agents who give up on believing in a political representative. 

We all value our weekends – variously for rest and relaxation, sports, faith and community – and those who work on a Sunday should be paid for this valued day of the week. 

it seems at the end of the day the government does not really see how special Sunday is.

In fact, this decision has stripped the human face of the employment sector; shamelessly and, apparently, effortlessly.