PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (11:30): I move:

That this house calls upon this state government to join with the federal government and other state/territory governments in initiating a nationwide review of public holidays, with a view to achieving appropriate designations and scheduling in a framework of national consistency.

As the motion says, I am calling for a review—and I am not arguing for any particular stance. The Hon. Bob Sneath, the President in another place, raised the issue of taking away workers' rights and, clearly, that is not what I am seeking to do. I think any arrangement which has been in place for a long time and which has grown in a topsy-turvy way warrants review. In an editorial on 27 January this year, The Advertiser summed up the issue very well under the heading 'Australia's allocation of public holidays is archaic, jumbled, confused and badly in need of review'. The article stated:

The debate which has broken out over when to celebrate Australia Day again highlights the many incongruities surrounding this and other days of importance on our calendar.

Should monarchists be able to celebrate the Queen's birthday on the day, or wait for the most convenient day off?

Should the race that really does stop a nation in terms of productivity—the Melbourne Cup—be a public holiday, given that the Adelaide Cup attracts such an honour?

There is a sound case for the Adelaide Cup public holiday, particularly to ensure the event flourishes. But it is ironic that Melbourne Cup day is a working day hampered by long lunches which grind the business community to a halt every first Tuesday in November.

Why is Labour Day celebrated on different days throughout the nation, with all the confusion that entails for those trying to coordinate across state boundaries? Why are South Australia and Western Australia the only states to celebrate their Proclamation Day with public holidays?

Think you have the system worked out, thing again. Anzac Day falls on a Saturday this year so that will be the so-called public holiday, not the following Monday, thanks to Section 3A of the Holidays Act 1910. This all may have made sense to our law makers of 1910 and later when the holiday system was worked out, but we clearly have lost our way between then and now.

For one thing the massive changes to the Australian workforce in recent years have left the system behind. A century ago, even 50 years in the past, a public holiday meant just that—everyone stayed away from work and workplaces simply closed for the day.

Now, more and more workers are required to show up on public holidays. Times have changed and our public holidays should reflect this.

That editorial provoked quite a few responses, and I outline them without passing judgment one way or another on what people said. There was a call to get rid of Adelaide Cup day and the Queen's birthday holiday on the grounds that they are insignificant—this was a claim. More than one person said that Australia Day should be celebrated on the day of Federation. Someone pointed out that atheists and non-Christians can cancel Christmas and Easter, and likewise republicans should cancel the Queen's birthday. Someone indicated that they cannot wait for the 'Republic day' public holiday. Others pointed out there are few countries that take the Easter Friday and Monday off as a public holiday, and one person indicated that the Queen's birthday is not a public holiday in Britain. There was a comment:

Why do we get a public holiday for the Queen's birthday but not for Anzac Day when it falls on a weekend? Anzac Day is more significant to many people than the Queen's birthday. We commemorate Anzac Day in schools but not the Queen's birthday.

An article that appeared in The Advertiser on the same day highlighted issues raised, including those raised by Australian of the Year, Professor Mick Dodson, who referred to Australia Day as 'invasion day' for the nation's indigenous people. A claim was made that 27 May would commemorate the 1967 referendum, when discriminatory statements about indigenous people were removed from the constitution.

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, ruled out a change of day for Australia Day because, he said, 'Australia had resolved to build a nation for Australians all, not just for some Australians'. Some also argued that another day for Aboriginal people should be brought in, and former New South Wales premier Bob Carr argued that Australia Day should 'accommodate all Australian stories'. He said, 'This would include mourning of Aborigines and the celebration of survival against the odds.'

I believe that those points canvass a lot of the issues relating to public holidays. To clarify things, I ask for leave of the house to have inserted in Hansard a statistical table listing the public holidays in Australia at the moment and the inconsistent days where different days are celebrated in different states.

The SPEAKER: Is the table purely statistical in nature?

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: Yes. It has the dates of the public holidays with the names alongside.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.B. SUCH: To briefly elaborate on that point, the national public holidays in 2009 are: New Year's Day, Australia Day, Easter Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, the Queen's Birthday (except Western Australia), Christmas Day and Boxing Day (except South Australia, where Proclamation Day is on the 28^th). I will not go through all of them, because members can read them in Hansard, but members will note the inconsistent days in the second table. Only Western Australia has Labor Day on 2 March, Tasmania celebrates Eight Hours Day on 9 March, and the ACT has Canberra Day, and so it goes on.

Members might ask: what does it matter if we have different days throughout the nation? It makes it very difficult in terms of operating businesses and, obviously, economic efficiency, because we will have inconsistent public holidays across the nation, and there are quite a few of them. So, that is another point.

However, we are a nation and have been for quite a while (I would like to see this replicated in many of our laws, and I am sure the Attorney-General is working towards getting some national template), and one would think that we would have consistent public holidays. I think that is important.

Obviously, the debate about what we call some of them—and whether we have the Queen's birthday holiday or when we have Australia Day—I think, will continue for a long time, and it is good that we have the debate and listen to various views and opinions on it. I am simply suggesting that the various state, territory and federal governments have a look at this whole issue of public holidays to see whether we as a nation can come up with something that is more in tune with being a nation rather than the current mishmash of public holidays across the nation.

It is not germane to this particular motion—and I have written to the federal government about this—but I think it would be opportune, in a separate focus, also to look at sick leave and long service leave because time has moved on. Once again, I am not arguing for their removal; I just think it is time we had a look at those as well. This motion focuses on public holidays. I think it is reasonable that we look at the issue nationwide, and I commend the motion to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Ms Breuer.