The Mondayisation bill

Claire Trevett in the Herald reports:

Labour will introduce a member’s bill to ensure holidays that fall on a weekend can be taken another day.

New Zealanders will miss out on two of 11 public holidays this year because Waitangi Day is a Sunday and Anzac Day falls on Easter Monday – already a statutory holiday.

Labour MP Grant Robertson said the holidays should be able to be taken on a Monday in such instances.

I actually support such a bill. Not to make a last minute change to 2011 which would be a silly panic. But to have certainity in the future that you always have 11 days of public holidays.

Incidentially Mondayisation would not solve the issue of ANZAC day and Easter Monday being the same day in 2011 but this is not scheduled to happen again until the 25th of April 2095. I hope Labour aren’t saying that this is an issue that needs a legislative fix.

But Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day falling on weekends does happen two out of seven years. ANZAC Day will next fall on a weekend in 2015 and Waitangi Day in 2016.

So Labour’s bill is worth supporting, but it is not urgent, and should take its chances in the ballot.