PREMIER Daniel Andrews told the business community he will not back down on delivering a new Grand Final Eve public holiday in a fiery response to industry claims it could cost the economy $1.5 billion.
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Speaking at Maryborough on Monday, Mr Andrews denied the holiday would only benefit Melbournians, saying regional Victorians would see an influx of tourists making the most of the long weekend.
“The business community, and their spokespeople, need to understand one very simple thing: we took this policy to an election and this is the policy, along with hundreds of others, that the Victorian community endorsed,” Mr Andrews said.
“Some people like this, some people don't, but be in no doubt at all – when we make promises, we keep them and there are not many politicians in our nation at this time, sadly, that can say that.
“So there will be grand final Friday and it will be a fantastic day for families, a great day for footy and a great day for regional tourism.”
Earlier that day, the Australian Industry Group released a report which claimed that three quarters of local businesses would keep their doors closed on the 'Football Friday' holiday.
“This will come at a cost of at least $1 billion in lost sales for Victorian businesses with a $500 million dollar wage bill lumped on top,” Ai Group Victorian director Tim Piper said.
Last week, Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Mark Stone said repealing the state’s two new public holidays would be his number one priority at a VECCI summit held in Bendigo.
After giving a keynote speech at the ‘Victoria Summit 2015 – Regional Victoria,’ Opposition Leader Matthew Guy strongly indicated he would repeal Grand Final Eve public holiday if elected in 2018.
In a discussion on proposed changes to penalty rates in the hospitality and retail industries, one local cafe told the Bendigo Advertiser the changes meant opening on the Easter Sunday “didn’t make sense economically”.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW POLL.
But Mr Andrews said the first of his government's two new holidays had proven the critics wrong.
“These are the same voices who said everything was going to be a ghost town on Easter Sunday – and it wasn't,” he said.
The premier said he recently spoke with the owners of a family-run craft brewery in Beechworth who were “ecstatic” at the news of the Football Friday long weekend.
“They’re saying that they are going be overrun with customers coming up to the north-east,” he said.
“Similarly, this region will be busy, all of our regions will be busy, as people take the opportunity to spend time with family, something that’s very important, but not apparently to some of these business types, who have a different view.”
Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan said the interests of workers also needed to be considered in the debate.
“We believe workers – and their families – work hard and deserve to be appropriately remunerated and have the opportunity to have the recreation time they need,” the minister for public transport said.