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Slipper says: Labour Day holiday should go
Federal Member for Fisher Peter Slipper is daring Queensland to make a bold but logical change to its public holiday calendar.
Mr Slipper wants the Labour Day long weekend scrapped, to be replaced with one that instead celebrates the State's birthday.
Mr Slipper thinks it's no longer necessary to take a day off to celebrate Australia's union movement, which has experienced a steady drop in membership from 40 percent of the national workforce in 1986 to 19 percent in 2008.
"Workers have voted with their feet by electing not to join unions," Mr Slipper says.
"Some unions have done a great job in the past but they're no longer seen as essential to protecting workers' rights.
"Staging a public holiday for Labour Day is now irrelevant as most think of it as simply another day off. Surely it's time to celebrate something more meaningful to Queenslanders."
Mr Slipper is proposing a public holiday be declared on Proclamation Day (December 10), which marks Queensland's separation from NSW.
There are currently many public holidays in the first half of the year but in comparison, none in the second, bar Christmas.
Mr Slipper also believes more Queenslanders would become involved in celebrating Queensland statehood if they had time off work.
"Besides the State of Origin series, there aren't many occasions that instil a sense of real State pride," Mr Slipper says.
"Last year's 150th anniversary celebrations were warmly embraced by the community. Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could generate that same kind of enthusiasm for at least one weekend every year?"
Mr Slipper believes it'd be a refreshing contrast to the Labour Day public holiday.
"I would guess many people in the community would be hard pressed to explain what the day is about. It's just another day off," he says.
Peter Slipper MP
Federal Member for Fisher
Permanent Link: Slipper says: Labour Day holiday should go
Publish Date: 29 Apr 10
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Comments / Have your say
While there is some merit for moving the day to coincide with Proclamation Day, a public holiday on that occasion might become just another holiday and an timely opportunity for some extra Christmas shopping to boost coffers at K-Mart et al (I assume the expectation is that shopping malls will remain open).
And will businesses facing the week long Christmas shut-down in a fortnight's time be keen on loosing yet another day's productivity in mid-December?
Its alright for him as every day is like a public holiday. Peter Slipper is so incompetent that even John Howard wouldn't give him a ministry.
He is an embarrassment to the Sunshine Coast.
This is just a pathetic attempt for some publicity so he can give the impression he is actually working
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