2020 election: Labor vows to make Matariki a public holiday

Labor leader Jacinda Ardern has kicked off her party’s election campaign by announcing that, if elected, Labor would make Matariki a public holiday.

It would be the first new New Zealand holiday in nearly 50 years and the 12th New Zealand holiday of the year.

It would start in 2022 and is Labor’s second electoral policy launch.

“While traveling in New Zealand, I heard calls for Matariki to become a public holiday – the time has come,” Ardern said on the election campaign in Rotorua today.

Although Labor policy does not have an exact date for the holidays, it is expected to be in winter and will always fall within a Monday or Friday within Matariki.

“Matariki will be a distinctive New Zealand holiday and a time for reflection, celebration and looking to the future as we take more and more pride in our unique national identity,” Ardern said.

He noted that, compared to other OECD countries, New Zealand has fewer holidays than many of its peers.

In fact, 18 countries have more holidays than New Zealand.

It would fall within the winter months, between the queen’s birthday on June 1 and Labor Day on October 26.

Ardern said this would be a good way to “break the long run during the winter.”

This is the second major Labor policy of the election campaign.

It is the Labor Party’s second electoral policy speech: the first was at the party’s campaign launch on August 8.

Ardern said that Matariki has become a time of celebration not only for Maori, but also for many New Zealanders in Aotearoa.

When asked about the idea in May, Ardern said it was something “on his radar” but that it was an idea that had not received “widespread support throughout the government.”

NZ First leader Winston Peters, whose party is part of a coalition government with Labor, has previously said he opposes additional holidays.

He doubled down in a press release shortly after the Labor policy announcement made headlines.

“New Zealand First has concerns that an additional holiday will put undue pressure on employers,” it said in a statement.

“Covid-19 has drastically affected our economy and businesses shouldn’t have to pay for another holiday.”

Law enforcement leader David Seymour said Ardern should be “down to earth” promising a new holiday during a recession.

“If Labor wants Matariki to be a public holiday, they should abolish Labor Day so that companies don’t bear more costs,” he said.

Labor Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis said the new holiday would be a good way to give Maori a chance to share their traditions, history and stories.

“None of our current holidays recognize Maori culture and tradition.

“Making Matariki a holiday is another step forward in our association as a people and a greater recognition of the Māori tea in our public life.”

He also said it would help New Zealand’s domestic tourism and hospitality sectors.

He said the reasons it wouldn’t go into effect until 2022 was due to the “significant impact” that Covid-19 has had on businesses.

Another holiday, he said, can generate additional costs for businesses.

National agreed with this sentiment this morning.

When asked about calls to make Matariki a public holiday, leader Judith Collins said that some within National thought it was a great idea.

“The problem is that it is another holiday that employers have to pay for,” he said, adding that many are still struggling with the economic fallout of Covid-19.

The questions were not related to specific Labor policy, but simply questions about whether or not National would support Matariki becoming a public holiday.

The Employers and Manufacturers Association was quick to warn against the idea.

Its CEO, Brett O’Riley, says it will be a cost to businesses and is unlikely to support increased tourism, which was the original argument for an additional public holiday during Covid-19 alert levels 1 and 2. .

“We understand the cultural argument that Matariki is considered important enough for one holiday, but it could have been interchanged with one of the other holidays.”

Second Labor Policy

It is the Labor Party’s second electoral policy speech: the first was at the party’s campaign launch on August 8.

But, due to the resurgence of Covid-19 in the community, Ardern was forced to delay the elections and, by extension, the election campaign.

On August 8, during the launch of his re-election campaign, Ardern announced a $ 300 million package to protect struggling workers and businesses from the worst impacts of Covid-19.

The new job-specific policy would take a longer-term approach and build on the existing flexible salary scheme: a wage subsidy to help employers hire people with a benefit and / or at risk of unemployment.

The funding will allow businesses a subsidy of an average of $ 7,500 and up to $ 22,000 to hire unemployed New Zealanders.

They would have to demonstrate that the work is sustainable in the long term and will only receive the allowance once the person has been employed for six weeks.

The total investment of $ 311 million is estimated to support up to 40,000 jobs, keeping New Zealanders out of unemployment benefit.

Another $ 30 million would be set aside to help unemployed Kiwis start a business, providing the equivalent of minimum wage for up to 30 hours a week.

National also has a policy that would allow the recently unemployed to withdraw up to $ 20,000 from their KiwiSaver to start a business.

The party also promised a $ 10,000 per worker subsidy for any business that hires a full-time worker, as part of a $ 500 million plan.

Funding for Labor’s policy would come from underutilization of the wage subsidy, with $ 2 billion of the $ 2.6 billion budget spent, rather than from the Covid Response Fund, which could be needed to fight the virus again or reduce the debt, Ardern said.

The flexible salary scheme was introduced in 2012, but Ardern went out of his way to impress that it was his policy, not National’s.

They were expanding it, because it worked, he said.

Parliament officially closed the session for the campaign period on Sunday.

MPs left the House for the last time in this period on Wednesday, but today is where the rubber kicks in for the Labor campaign.

Visit to Rotorua

Ardern is in Rotorua for the day; his national rival Judith Collins is in Hawke’s Bay.

The Labor leader had a panel discussion with Explore Rotorua at 1:15 PM, where she spoke about the challenges facing the tourism industry.

You will visit Te Aka Mauri, a children’s health center and mental health service focused on the well-being of the community.

Ardern and his entourage have been roaming the city in masks.

Speaking to tourism leaders earlier in the day, Davis recognized the tourism leaders in the room.

“We really appreciate the tough times you’re going through. We’ve tried to cushion the blow … we try to be as creative as possible.”

“We know there will be a lot of people who think we could have done more, but we really have done everything we can to support the tourism industry.”