Page 5074 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 17 November 2009
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A public holiday permanently established during the September-October school holidays ensures a public holiday occurs during a lengthy period between federal public holidays, namely June, the Queen’s birthday public holiday, and October, Labour Day.
Public holidays are an important part of the yearly calendar and provide a vital role for workers to have economic space to spend quality time with friends and family. Van Wanrooy states that “Australia has some of the longest hours amongst full-time employees in the OECD”. She also notes that this is a growing trend. In particular, in the ACT many building workers continue to work long hours and are finding it increasingly difficult to take their rostered days off. In addition, many employees in the hospitality and retail sector are required to work on federal gazetted holidays such as Easter and Boxing Day. The union picnic day public holiday allows both these groups time away from work to relax and to restore a work-life balance.
The preservation of already existing public holidays is of paramount concern to UnionsACT due to the obvious work-life balance benefits associated with such a day. Such a holiday assists in the improvement of the quality of life for many ACT workers, and I am very happy to support this bill.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Health and Minister for Industrial Relations) (11.14): I thank members for their contributions today.
The government committed to a review of the purpose and future of Family and Community Day following the repeal of the Work Choices industrial relations system, and after public consultation. A six-week public consultation period was undertaken between Friday, 17 April and Friday, 29 May, using the ACT community noticeboard, as well as letters to business and employee representative peak bodies seeking their views. There were in excess of 1,100 submissions received from organisations and members of the public at the conclusion of this process. Of the 1,100 responses, 47 per cent chose to replace Family and Community Day with a permanent new public holiday, possibly on a different date, with a strong ACT connection. Of the total responses, nearly 21 per cent indicated a preference for a day focused on Floriade or the commencement of spring.
The Holidays (Family and Community Day) Amendment Bill 2009 gives effect to the government’s commitment and responds to the outcomes of the consultation process by establishing Family and Community Day as a public holiday of general application in the ACT during the school holidays between term 3 and term 4 of each year. Under the proposed amendments to the Holidays Act 1958, from 2010 the first Monday in the school holidays between term 3 and term 4 each year will be the Family and Community Day public holiday. However, where that first Monday of the school holidays falls on the currently designated Labour Day public holiday, such as will occur in 2011 and 2012, the Family and Community Day will simply fall on the second Monday of the term break.
This regime will reinstate a full school calendar by establishing the public holiday during the school break and provide certainty to the publishing industry. Mums and
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