Mondayisation bill passes second reading also
The marriage bill has hogged the headlines but worth noting that David Clark’s Mondayisation bill passed its second reading despite being opposed by the Government.
Labour, Greens, NZ First, Maori, Mana, United and Brendan Horan were 61 votes in favour and National and ACT 60 votes against.
I’m pleased to see it progress. it is illogical that we Mondayise some holidays but not all of them.
I don’t accept the argument that by placing the public holiday on a Monday, it shifts the focus from the actual day.
Put it like this. If Christmas Day is on a Saturday, the public holiday is on Monday the 27th. Does anyone celebrate Christmas on the 27th or regard that as Christmas Day? Of course not.
There is a legitimate debate you can have about whether 11 paid public holidays a year is too many or too few. But if we have a public holiday, it should occur every year in opinion – not just five out of seven years.
It is also a good thing to occasionally have Parliament able to legislate over the will of Government. This is the benefits of no party having a majority (there are drawbacks also). You don’t want the Government losing votes too often, but it is good for a Government that they have to defeat bills in the House on the basis of the strength of their argument, not on the basis of a vote in caucus.
In the end the arguments against David Clark’s bill are not persuasive and it should also pass into law in April.
In the next decade, the years when it will have an impact are:
- 2013 – none
- 2014 – none
- 2015 – ANZAC Day on a Saturday
- 2016 – Waitangi Day on a Saturday
- 2017 – none
- 2018 – none
- 2019 – none
- 2020 -ANZAC Day on a Saturday
- 2021 – Waitangi Day on a Saturday, ANZAC Day on a Sunday
- 2022 – Waitangi Day on a Sunday