Employers unhappy at 'disruptive' one-off public holiday
Australia’s National Day of Mourning, the one-off public holiday, has garnered a divided response from the public - with criticism coming from business owners who claim the announcement was made with too short notice.
"Operations and lots of patient consultations booked that day, at a time when access is difficult," Steve Robson, president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) added. "Thanks for dropping this at short notice."
According to the AMA president, the unanticipated public holiday will make it "very difficult" to staff hospitals and clinics, as public holidays allow employees not to work on the said date. Fleur Brown, chief industry officer for the Australian Retailers Association, told Sky News Australia that the extra public holiday generated extra costs for the industry.
"It is short notice and it is complex for business… there will be a cost through loss of trade and the additional staff costs on that day," Brown told the outlet. "It does make it less complex if it's left in the hands of the retailers and whether or not they choose to open… What we are asking for is urgent clarity."
According to Brown, states and territories should immediately provide direction to retailers to minimise disruptions. Stephen Koukoulas, managing director of Market Economics and economic advisor to the PM, also called the public holiday a "costly and disruptive decision".
Read more: Public holidays in Australia
"What does this mean for business locked in for that date? Cancel the dental appointment? Car service? Conference? Deliveries of goods? It is a really costly and disruptive decision," he said.
In a later tweet, he said that his "quick calculation" suggests that the one-off holiday could cost the economy $1.5 billion, before adding that it's "actually closer to $2 billion of activity lost".
Following criticism, PM Anthony Albanese moved to defend the announcement of the holiday, pointing out that the scheduled holiday date has been part of the "protocols that have been in place for decades".
"The truth is that operations occur every day of the year, for example, this isn't a declaration that no one's allowed to do anything on Thursday, the 22nd of September," he said in a radio interview.
In a press conference, the prime minister debunked the idea that operations do not occur during a public holiday, stressing that medical procedures are "always a priority".
"In terms of a one-off, I'd say this: this is the first time that we have had a change of a head of state and in which we have been in a position where Australia needs to, and wants to, give thanks to the contribution of Queen Elizabeth II as our head of state for 70 years," said Albanese. "A one-off public holiday and a National Day of Mourning is an appropriate response. It was agreed to by myself and the Premiers and Chief Ministers."
Do you agree that Australia should commemorate the Queen Elizabeth II's passing with a one-off public holiday? Share your answers here.
