Page 1963 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
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that many of them found out about it when it was announced that the government was going ahead with it. I think that if you want to bring industry along with changes then you need to make sure that they are involved with the process.
Part of the problem with public holidays—and, let’s face it, who is not in favour of a public holiday; it is a time for family to get together and for relaxation and enjoyment and, particularly with Christmas and the new year that are specifically addressed by this bill, it is important that people have time to celebrate, relax and get ready for the coming of the new year—is that there is an effect on business. What people may find is that some businesses will simply shut rather than open and pay large overtime payments. They may choose not to open or, indeed, the owners may choose to do the work themselves, offering perhaps reduced services. For some firms, those that have premises in the big malls, they will have no choice. If the mall is open then normally their contract would suggest that they be open at the same time. But that is a decision that they have made and they understand that that is what is expected when they sign their contracts to move into those malls.
I think it is important that we monitor the effect of the public holidays and make sure that people are not out of work, because it is impossible for small businesses in particular to meet the required wages when a day is gazetted as a public holiday. That said, the role of public holidays in the community is important. They are occasions for family, for relaxation and specifically for bringing communities together, and we all enjoy the outcomes there.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (12.11): I will be supporting the passage of this bill today. It makes a simple change; it designates Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day as public holidays. It also ensures that if any of these days fall on a weekend then the official public holiday is the following Monday or the following Tuesday if Boxing Day falls on a Sunday.
I think this is an appropriate change, and it should be the norm in our modern working environment. If Christmas is on Sunday then a worker will get the public holiday on the next weekday. I think that is what people expect, and it is only fair. The Christmas and new year period is an important time for people to spend with their families and their friends. It is a time that a busy full-time worker, for example, might get to spend some precious time with their children. It is an important time for people to have a break and to rest and recover for the new year.
There should be no contest that Australian workers are already working very hard, long hours, and their work is intruding more and more into their home lives. Despite an enduring reputation that Australia is a relaxed nation where we all have barbecues and go to the beach, Australia is frequently near the top of a list of nations with the longest working hours.
A 2013 global report, for example, found that more and more Australians now take their work home. Almost three-quarters of Australians now take work home with them at least once a week. That is more than Britain at 67 per cent, Japan at 54 per cent and India at 67 per cent. This was the fourth highest result of all surveyed countries. The same report found that 41 per cent of Australian workers usually work
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