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Posts Tagged ‘Waitangi Day’

Mondayising Public Holidays

Posted by on July 24th, 2012

The first-reading vote on my ‘Mondayising’ Members Bill is set down for tomorrow. 

I’m chuffed with the level of public support for the Bill. I guess everyone knows Kiwi workers put in some long hours and look forward to 11 public holidays with the family every year.

A reflection of the widespread backing for my bill is evident in today’s Stuff poll which had public support running all afternoon at 81%. 

The Bill is popular because it recognises the growing importance of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day to our history and sense of identity as New Zealanders.  The time is right to give these days the full recognition that other public holidays have.

Let’s also be clear that the Bill is popular because it makes sure people get the holidays they deserve. 

Folk were rightly miffed when they missed out on two public holidays last year only because the days of commemoration fell on a weekend.

A couple of people have put to me the proposition that having a holiday on the Monday that follows somehow diminishes the importance of the day itself.  What nonsense.  It doesn’t seem to have reduced the significance of ANZAC day in the Australian territories that have Mondayised it.  On the contrary, reports suggest increased turnout for 25 April ANZAC commemorations.

The example of Christmas illustrates the point.  When Christmas last fell on a weekend, did you hear anyone complaining that Christmas Day was somehow less significant because we received an extra holiday the day after Boxing Day?  I thought not.

I’ve had the pledges of support necessary for the Bill to progress.  My thanks to Labour Colleagues, the Greens, NZ First, The Maori Party, United Future and Mana for their assistance in progressing this legislation.

John Key looks like a man alone opposing the full recognition of these days.

The cost of Mondayising is negligible.  John Key is the Minister of Tourism and now even the industry he’s supposed to be representing have come out against him. 

Waitangi and ANZAC Day warrant a day off every year, not just 5 out of 7.  We only miss out on our full allocation of public holidays twice every seven years - when these days fall on a weekend.

Key needs to explain to ordinary working New Zealanders why they don’t deserve these two days off with friends and family.

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Filed under: Holidays, work life balance
22 Comments

Thank you

Posted by on February 19th, 2012

It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks.  Having my Monday-ising Bill drawn on the first regular day of Parliament was a rush.  It is a great opportunity to champion a cause that will fix an anomaly in our law and give hard-working kiwi families the holidays they deserve.

Labour MPs have been supportive of the Bill from the start. NZ First, the Greens and United Future have come out in favour of it now too. And of course most members of the public agree it makes sense.  The Tourism Industry Association has pointed out that it will give a boost to ailing domestic tourism figures.

The Dominion Post explained succinctly why it makes sense.  The Bill addresses an issue that only arises in those years when Waitangi and ANZAC fall on a weekend.  The days of celebration will still be 6 February and 25 April respectively but there will also be a Public Holiday on the Monday that follows.  We do this already for Christmas and other Public Holidays.  Using the Christmas example: it doesn’t make the Christmas celebration itself any different – but you know you can plan for a long weekend and some time off with the family.

In the first couple of weeks, I’ve also had my first media stand-up, my maiden speech, a funeral, a wedding, another Parliamentary speech, several radio interviews and my first appearance on TV show Back Benches.  Because the causes I’ve been fronting have been constructive, and media coverage has been positive, it has been a great experience.

But I’ve not been able to respond to every message of support.  I know other new MPs have had a similar experience. So I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those who’ve helped get me here, and those who’ve offered assistance or support. I appreciate it.

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Filed under: Back Benches, Holidays, members' bills
6 Comments

Waitangi and ANZAC day confusion

Posted by on February 6th, 2011

Just to make it clear that having a public holiday on the Monday after Waitangi Day or ANZAC day when they fall on a weekend or another public holiday, doesn’t mean you celebrate them on the Monday.

They would just be treated like Christmas, Boxing Day, New Years Day and the day after.

No great secret that I looked at the issue when in government and decided that implementing four weeks annual holiday for all every year was a higher priority. What is now clear is that the public want both and as soon as possible.

And while we are sorting out these anomalies we should sort Easter Sunday as well. It is probably the most important day on the Christian calendar, but because when we sorted our public holidays no one contemplated shops opening or people working on a Sunday it was left off the list. That needs to be fixed.

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Filed under: economy, Employers, inequality, labour, minimum wage, retail, union, workers rights
17 Comments

Holiday entitlements restored

Posted by on July 26th, 2010

Interesting, and good, to note that the EPMU have negotiated in their Metals MECA to make up one of the two holidays lost next year for workers, this being the one with ANZAC Day and Easter Monday falling on the same day next year.

As previously discussed here I think that something needs to be done to ensure that we protect the integrity of ANZAC Day and Waitangi Day, but also give workers the holidays that they should be entitled too. I am still working through the best legislative approach that takes account of those who do not already work Mondays. But as Andrew Little says in the story linked above if the provisions to make up for lost holiday entitlements appear in enough agreements this will increase the impetus for a law change. Well done to the EPMU.

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Filed under: Holidays, jobs, labour, union
6 Comments

Mondayising ANZAC Day and Waitangi Day

Posted by on May 29th, 2010

As I have raised previously here I think there needs to be a serious debate about ensuring that New Zealanders get the 11 public holidays a year that they are entitled to under the Holidays Act. The issue is back in the spotlight this week after the EPMU have raised it as part of negotiations. Interestingly the NZ Herald waded into the debate in their editorial yesterday, and came out in favour of Mondayising.

By international standards, New Zealanders work long hours and do not enjoy an inordinate number of holidays. In the interests of fairness and uniformity, they should enjoy the full fruit of what they get.

This is exactly right, and should be the basis from which the discussion about public holidays flows. The biggest issue that has been raised with me since my earlier post is the question of undermining the sanctity of the days. However I think the Herald has this exactly right as well when discussing the RSA’s concerns about any change.

The RSA is right about the increased sanctity of Anzac Day, but that is the precise reason it is wrong to fear that might be lost if the day were Mondayised. People understand the importance of April 25 and February 6 as the exact dates of important historical events. They want to commemorate those events on those days. That will never change. It is, therefore, no reason to deny the statutory holiday that usually falls people’s way on those days.

I think the best of both worlds is possible where the actual days are given the respect that they absolutely deserve, but on occasions when they fall on the weekend the statutory holiday allocation is retained.

The biggest issue for me in this matter is the changing nature of the working week. Mondays are in fact a common regular non-working day for those in hospitality and retail, and therefore they miss out in terms of public holidays, especially when we consider that other holidays such as Labour Day and Queens Birthday always fall on Mondays. This may mean a different kind of amendment to the Holidays Act, either separately or in addition to dealing with the ANZAC/Waitangi issue.

Anyway, I am keen to hear your views, and whether this is something people in your workplace have talked about or are concerned about.

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Filed under: Employers, labour, workforce
7 Comments

Minuit: “Aotearoa”

Posted by on February 6th, 2010

Good song for Waitangi Day. Great pictures. Watch us develop. Plenty of I was there moments. And a few where I wish I had been.

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Filed under: Arts and Culture
7 Comments

tino rangatiratanga flag irony

Posted by on January 30th, 2010

It’s pretty ironic that Ngapuhi won’t fly the tino rangatiratanga flag at Waitangi this year.

They don’t want to be told by anyone what flag they are to fly on their own patch.

That in itself is a great demonstration of tino rangatiratanga.

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Filed under: M?ori
4 Comments

Flags replace beads and blankets

Posted by on July 20th, 2009

Our colleague Shane Jones has a very thought provoking column in this morning’s Dominion Post regarding the choice of flag to fly over the Auckland Harbour Bridge on Waitangi Day next year. It’s titled “Flags taking the place of blankets and beads”. I can’t find it online, but here are some excerpts:

“Maori have enjoyed flags since before the Treaty of Waitangi. In the midst of the Maori land wars, tribal leaders believed in the power of flags … The Crown regularly presented flags to tribes for their loyalty. Colonists did so as well. In 1864 a flag was presented to the tribes of Wanganui for protecting the Wanganui township from their upper river kin Moutoa.

“Prime Minister John Key is maintaining that historic tradition as he rewards the Maori Party for loyalty, and sanctions the Maori Affairs minister to fund gatherings to select a flag…Mr Key has done an impressive job in capturing the Maori Party. He is canny enough to know it is less threatening and more amusing to have hui about independence ensigns than confront Maori state dependency. Beads and blankets are no longer de rigueur – rather it is flags that are the new currency.”

“Mr Key knows that hoisting a flag above the harbour bridge will not alter one jot Maori economic status. The 500 Maori losing their jobs every week know that getting their whänau up the ladder is the true test of rangatiratanga…”

“Maori fortunes are inextricably bound up with those of society overall. Far more prosaic, less mesmerising topics such as productivity, numeracy, literacy, civic participation jobs and employment are responsibilities that the Maori Party is shirking.

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Filed under: democracy, M?ori
31 Comments