It was a great, if not welcome and blessed relief, to finally see some policy released by Labour yesterday. Not before time.
But what a contrast.
While National was releasing policy on a plan to tackle the country's methamphetamine problem, Labour was offering up another holiday.
Labour says a Matariki public holiday is long overdue. Tell you what, so is a Covid recovery plan.
The idea is basically a sop to win Maori votes, Labour's worried about the Maori vote and Maori seats, hence the politicisation of Matariki. But though TV reporters travelling with the PM got carried away and excitedly announced this to be a vote winner, it's landed with a thud in business circles.
Guess who pays for this? Employers.
The same employers already paying for the extra leave entitlements already introduced by this government.
Deputy PM Winston Peters isn't fan, he says this country needs more work and sacrifice, not more holidays.
The Employer and Manufacturers Union warns it’s another costs for businesses.. already struggling to recover from lockdowns and level changes. It says the Government’s priority should be fixing the Holidays Act.
Act’s David Seymour says if Labour wants Matariki to be a public holiday, it should abolish Labour Day so businesses aren’t taking on more costs. Seymour actually accused the PM of being “in la-la land”, and asked whether she even knew there was an economic crisis going on or not. He said New Zealanders.. “don’t need another day off, what they need is for Jacinda Ardern to take 3 years off.
He points out there are 70,000 people on welfare, we're facing down mountains of debt for future generations, businesses are struggling to survive, and Labour’s answer is a new public holiday.”
National says it's tone deaf.
The country is facing an economic crisis like never before, and Labour's first policy announcement is another holiday.
The upshot of this is, other businesses are fundamentally being asked to prop up the tourism sector.
They're the ones who'll benefit from this holiday. But we need more than just a sugar rush for one sector, in reality what we need is a booming economy again, people working and being productive and creating jobs. That'll essentially benefit everyone.
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis reckons this extra public holiday will carry an estimated cost to the economy of 280 million dollars.
This from a government whose also signalling an interest in handing out more sick leave.
The message here from Labour so far, is.. more lollies, more time off, more holidays away from work, and the tab for all of that.. as usual.. will be picked up by employers.
Is that really a vote winner?
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