Matariki Public Holiday?

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, July 22nd, 2009 - 17 comments
Categories: maori party, national/act government, workers' rights - Tags: ,

The Maori Party’s Matariki Day Bill was pulled in the ballot.

Man, a public holiday in the middle of winter. Currently it’s one long drag from Queens Birthday to Labour Weekend.

Will the Tories vote against a public holiday in the middle of winter and, once again, oppose the goals of the Maori Party?

We’ll find out in a few hours.

17 comments on “Matariki Public Holiday? ”

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  1. Arealworker 1
    22 July 2009 at 2:31 pm

    For gods sake Zelli,

    Yet another reason why you people should get nowhere near power again. In the middle of a recession you want to create another paid day off work.

    How are business owners meant to sustain that?

    I wish i had pixies to pay my staff, as it stands i have to work three times as hard as anyone else and i barely take a wage.

    I sincerely hope this bill fails!

    • snoozer 1.1
      22 July 2009 at 2:42 pm

      It’s 1 extra day’s leave, 0.5% of working days. Say in your business workers’ wages are 30% of costs, then one day’s extra leave will add 0.15% to total costs. Getting ecobulbs might cover that.

      many other countries have 5 or even 6 weeks annual leave, can’t see how one more day will hurt us.

      You can’t be a very productive business owner if you need to work 3 times harder than everyone else and still can’t turn a profit. Maybe you’re one of the ones holding us back.

      • Arealworker 1.1.1
        22 July 2009 at 2:48 pm

        You obviously don’t own your own business.

        Profit and wage are different things snoozer, how apt a name, i am sure your employer thinks so too.

        I work three times harder because i can see the day when mine and my wife’s hard work pays dividends.

        It wont even bother to engage your comments about 5-6 weeks off. You clearly know nothing about those countries, such as tax rates and economies of size.

        • Quoth the Raven 1.1.1.1
          22 July 2009 at 3:32 pm

          There are both economies and diseconomies of scale.

        • snoozer 1.1.1.2
          22 July 2009 at 3:57 pm

          There are countries that are smaller than us that have more leave.

          Also, quick reply. Can’t be working that hard, eh massa?

    • Rocky 1.2
      22 July 2009 at 2:43 pm

      as it stands i have to work three times as hard as anyone else

      What a pathetically arrogant comment to make! And yet you still have time to read and comment on blog sites.

      • Arealworker 1.2.1
        22 July 2009 at 2:49 pm

        Actually i am idling my time in a doctors waiting room while my wife is undergoing tests.

        I do work three times as hard. Its my fucking business, who else would care enough to do the extra hours? Me thinks only the shareholders, ie me.

    • leftrightout 1.3
      22 July 2009 at 4:06 pm

      “Yet another reason why you people should get nowhere near power again. In the middle of a recession you want to create another paid day off work.

      How are business owners meant to sustain that?”

      Im sorry ARW, I will cease to spend time with my family and insist that my boss gives me no more holidays so YOU can make a profit. Will that make you happy?

  2. jarbury 2
    22 July 2009 at 2:32 pm

    Why don’t we swap Queen’s Birthday for this?

  3. Arealworker 3
    22 July 2009 at 2:37 pm

    Nice suggestion Jarbury,

    I think that has real merit. Better than a whole new holiday. We have already been straddled with a four paid week off.

    The countries productivity is in the mire, the last thing small business needs is less contact time.

    • snoozer 3.1
      22 July 2009 at 2:48 pm

      I haven’t been ‘saddled’ with 4 weeks leave. I’ve got it because my union and others campaigned for it, because life isn’t all about work and workers need time to spend with their families.

  4. marty mars 4
    22 July 2009 at 2:53 pm

    Yeah – how dare maori have a newyear celebration based around the actual seasons here, it’s much better celebrating a made up birthday in summer, or a made up one at any time, for that matter. And just because they have celebrated this change in seasons for generations is even more reason for scorn.

    As for them trying to be inclusive by making it a national holiday for all – well that just says it all – doesn’t it? 🙂

  5. gobsmacked 5
    22 July 2009 at 3:01 pm

    So how will the Maori Party’s mana be enhanced by National’s response?

    Obviously the Nats won’t actually do anything about a holiday, but sources close to John Key have revealed that he intends to convene a panel to form a task force which would hold a series of hui and then report back in 2010 on possible designs for a commemorative Matariki postage stamp.

    “It’s win-win!” says Pita Sharples. (Rahui Katene could not be reached for comment).

  6. Draco T Bastard 6
    22 July 2009 at 4:19 pm

    It’s needs to be more than just another day off – it needs to be a mid-winter festival, a celebration to welcome the return of the sun. What Xmas was before the Xians took it over and business ruined it.

    Should be a whole week – at least.

    @Arealworker: Nobody should have to work that hard. If anyone does then there’s something wrong with society. I suggest that it’s capitalism – There’s more to life than productivity.

  7. Ianmac 7
    22 July 2009 at 4:38 pm

    How about swapping Guy Fawkes Day 5 November for Matariki Day. Wouldn’t it be great to have winter bonfires, little risk of fire spreading, early darkness, wrapped up warmly, fireworks (Anti Nanny State NAct will repeal restrictions) sausages and potatoes cooked on the fire then early to bed for the kids. Meanwhile Transfer Mata riki to Rites of um Spring?

  8. felix 8
    22 July 2009 at 5:04 pm

    ARealWhinger:

    I work three times harder because i can see the day when mine and my wife’s hard work pays dividends.

    Then stop your fucking moaning. You’re doing all this work for your own benefit, not for the rest of us. Good for you. Work as hard as you fucking like but don’t expect us to feel sorry for you working so hard to feather your nest.

    Take some personal responsibility for your decisions you under-productive loser.

  9. Ron 9
    22 July 2009 at 6:18 pm

    I just recently had dinner for a friends birthday in a poshish Christchurch restaurant.

    Not many people and gregarious owners – so ended up talking to two people from the West Cpast. Own business. Same story as Arealworker…workers don’t understand have no committment and slack off -always asking for time off, they work three times as hard, government makes it really hard with all the labour and environmental rules, minimum wage had just gone up and that was killing themjust keeping our head above water… yadiyada…same story as Arealworker

    As we parted I asked why they were in Chch. They told me they popped over once a month for a weekend away. Sensible, I said. Where do you stay? They told me and commented about how reasonable it was and how I should use it next time I was in town. I didn’t mention I was at the backpackers so I could have the money for the meal that night.l.
    Looked up the place when I got home. $800.00 a night. x 12 plus monthly travel plus posh meals. And they begrudged workers .50c an hour