While it’s looking more and more likely that the Matildas could win the World Cup, it’s looking a little less likely that we’ll get a public holiday to celebrate the achievement (if it happens).
Ahead of a national cabinet decision this week, there is a political clash over the idea of a public holiday (and the cost it would have to employers) if the Matilda’s win the FIFA Women’s World Cup, as per The Age.
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is meeting with premiers on Wednesday and expecting a deal to be made, the Nationals have sided with employers against the proposal. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is yet to reveal his position on the matter.
Nationals leader David Littleproud said that he didn’t want to be “Captain Killjoy” on the proposal but the reality is that businesses are doing it tough and can’t afford public holiday penalty rates.
“It’s easy to call for a national public holiday when someone else is paying for it,” Littleproud told Insiders.
“I think we’ve just got to understand that someone’s got to foot that bill and businesses out there are doing it tough.
“We live in a great nation – we can celebrate our wins, but we’ve got to get on and pay the bills and make sure that the country keeps going.”
Albanese is raising the matter with state premiers and territory chief ministers during the national cabinet in Brisbane next week, but has stressed that ultimately state and territory governments determine whether a public holiday will happen or not.
“It’d be a pretty brave Australian state leader, wouldn’t it, who said no to that,” Albanese told Triple M recently, suggesting they would “fold like tents” over the proposed holiday.
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews hasn’t made any commitment out of the fear he would jinx the outcome for the Matildas (lol) while NSW Premier Chris Minns has suggested he would back the potential public holiday.
Luke Achterstraat, the chief executive of the Council of Small Business of Organisations of Australia, said that state premiers and territory chief ministers need to factor in the cost to small businesses if the public holiday moved ahead.
“Public holiday penalty rates of 250 per cent – not 25 per cent, but 250 per cent – are a major impost on small businesses who will need to reevaluate whether they even viably trade on the proposed public holiday,” Achterstraat said.
The Australian Industry Group and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are against the public holiday, as are state groups.
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