The Labour Party says it will make Matariki a public holiday if elected and it would be on a Friday or a Monday during the lunar cycle Matariki celebrations fall on, from 2022.
Matariki is the Maori New Year and begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster.
In 2020 Matariki was celebrated during the week of July 13.
Labour would convene a group of experts to help decide the exact date for what would be this country’s 12th public holiday.
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan described the proposal as a big surprise.
"... really, we’d like to see some pretty strong plans put in place for a recovery and the biggest news [yesterday] is we’re contemplating another public holiday."
It would put a cost on already struggling businesses, he said.
"For some they’ll be closed, and for some they’ll have to pay a higher rate and time in lieu."
Mr McGowan supported the idea of swapping another holiday for a new Matariki day.
"We’ve got quite a few public holidays."
The Otago Southland Employers Association was also supportive of removing another public holiday to make room for Matariki, which it described as having "important cultural significance".
But association chief executive Virginia Nicholls also lamented the extra costs another public holiday would put on businesses.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he had a clear view on what long weekends meant for his part of the country.
"[They] are fabulous for our economy.
"The whole district fills up. Lots of people come here and we have money to spend. Certainly it works well for us."
Additional cost for businesses would be outweighed by increases in turnover with more people coming in from out of town, Mr Boult said.
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern said a Matariki public holiday was what New Zealanders wanted.
“As I’ve travelled around New Zealand I’ve heard the calls for Matariki to become a public holiday. It’s time has come."
Ms Ardern said the holiday would provide what many sectors needed.
“Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday and a time for reflection, celebration and to look to the future as we take increasing pride in our unique national identity."
She said New Zealand did not have as many statutory holidays as other OECD countries.
Deputy Labour leader Kelvin Davis said a Matariki holiday would give Maori a chance to share its traditions and history with the rest of New Zealand.
“None of our current public holidays recognise Maori culture and tradition.
"Making Matariki a public holiday is another step forward in our partnership as a people and a further recognition of te ao Maori in our public life."
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Comments
Another example of business seniors totally out of touch with the people. This is exactly what people want to unite the country.
Would not a more summery date be better? 1 day in winter is not the same as 1 day in spring/summer. Beyond the media/PC push, it has never been a holiday in NZ, even before the arrival of the Europeans. If people want extra holidays, let that be a point of wage discussion.
A highly predictable response from a group whose members are strongly allied with the failing national party. The contention that NZ has "quite a few public holidays" is deliberately vague and demonstrably false. The are at least 20 countries in the OECD that have a greater number of holidays than NZ. His organizations concerns are entirely selfish, around preserving profit margins, and not the benefit and well being of their employees without whom they would go broke overnight.
Another election bribe from the failing Labour party. No doubt the gullible will fall for it and those who don't have to fund it will be happy. If we do need another public holiday then at least make it in the summer.
Your comment is so fact free that it doesn't even qualify as an opinion. It is just an emotional outburst. Your frustration at any other political party to make any impression with the public is understandable but please, keep your emotional outbursts to yourself.
Fact: It is an election bribe by Labour, just like the student fees in past elections. Fact: It will have to be funded. Those who won't be funding it will be happy, those who will be funding it (i.e. employers) won't be. Fact: Any new public holiday would be more useful in the better weather (unless you happen to be in Queenstown).
Your comment is so full of labour party pc'ness you fail to even recognize nor want to accept there are other opinions that differ from yours.
A winter's day. I think I'd stay in bed and cover my head to keep the power bill down - what else to do in the crux of winter.
Yikes IRD be careful you are at risk of looking like a hypocrite and a fool
So we have a New Year holiday in January throughout NZ; the Chinese have a New Year celebration but no holiday and we want to create a third New Year holiday now? The celebration is not something that is generally called for. Attention is brought to it by academics who have asked for it to be included in the school curriculum. Some people value it as they see significance in it. I cannot see any significance in it so I do not think it needs to be a national holiday.