Every Vic down in Melbourne liked Christmas a lot, but the Premier, who lived just north of Spring Street – did not.
The Premier hated Christmas – the whole Christmas season. Now, please don’t ask why; no one quite knows the reason.
It could be, perhaps, that he felt a bit sick. Or it could be that taxes weren’t quite doing the trick.
But I think that the most likely reason of all, may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
But, whatever the reason, his heart or his tricks, he stood there on Christmas Eve hating the Vics.
Staring down from his office, with a sour Premier’s frown, at the warm, lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew that every Vic down in Melbourne beneath, was busy now, hanging a Victorian-wreath.
If you happen to be both a) living in Victoria, and b) staring down the inglorious barrel of having to work on Christmas Day this year, the Andrews Government has finally decided to toss you a little (overdue, to be quite bloody honest) Christmas cheer.
With Christmas Day falling on a Sunday this year, the Andrews Government had previously asserted that it would not be a public holiday, meaning workers would only be copping their standard Sunday rates for the day.
But with only four weeks out until Christmas (jesus bloody christ) the Victorian Government has made a yuletide backflip on that decision, declaring it to be an official public holiday after all.
The public holiday will apply to the Sunday, meaning workers will be eligible for holiday penalty rates. The day in lieu public holiday on Tuesday, December 27th will also remain in place for Victorians, giving the state the most public holidays of any state in Australia for 2016.
The backflip comes after criticism from union officials criticised the government for not declaring the day a public holiday, potentially leaving workers out of pocket, as well as away from their families on one of the only two universal public holidays on the calendar.
But a change of heart from Premier Daniel Andrews and Small Business Minister Philip Dalidakis will now see penalty rates paid to all workers who have to clock on on December 25th, with Dalidakis admitting leaving the day off the public holiday calendar was a “mistake.”
“Obviously I’ve taken the last few weeks to consider the position that I originally made in February.”“I wish I was right all the time but the only person that’s right all the time is my wife in my household.”“I think it’s important that when you make a mistake, you put your hand up, acknowledge it and get on with life.”
Having penalty rates on Christmas Day is only expected to cost the Victorian economy around $35million, with only 4% of small businesses expected to open on Christmas Day.
And what happened, then? Well, in Melbourne they say – that the Premier’s small heart grew three sizes that day.
And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Premier found the strength of *ten* Premiers, plus two!
And the minute his heart didn’t feel quite so tight, he whizzed with his load through the bright morning light.
And he brought back the day off! And the penalty rates! And he, HE HIMSELF! The Premier managed to save face!
Source: Herald Sun.
