The state of Victoria has the highest number of public holidays in the country, and Shadow Treasurer Michael O’Brien says it’s hurting the economy.

Amid huge numbers of businesses closing shop on Easter Sunday after they argued it would be unprofitable to pay staff double time and a half, Mr O’Brien says adding AFL Grand Final day eve as a public holiday is adding insult to injury.

“I don’t think the Labor government thought this through,” he tells Neos Kosmos.

“On grand final eve, you’d see Collins Street full of people, coming to town, cheering for their team and wearing their team colours – there was a great feeling.

“If it’s a public holiday, people will stay at home.”

The AFL is considering moving the parade away from the CBD due to the lack of workers caused by the public holiday, with locations like Yarra Park and St Kilda being considered as options.

A number of grand final eve events, luncheons, and hundreds of smaller functions and those around the MCG will all be affected by the public holiday.
Premier Daniel Andrews says he is confident the public holiday will encourage people from rural areas and outer suburbs to venture into the city, and says the lack of city workers won’t be an issue.

“I think there are going to be many, many people coming into the city, perhaps from the regions, from the suburbs with their kids … because of the public holiday, [and] be involved in what will be a fantastic event,” Mr Andrews said.

Mr O’Brien argues that the government needs to be encouraging businesses to be open and keep on staff during high peak periods, in return feeding the economy and tourism these big events bring.

“We need to be encouraging businesses to grow in this state,” he says.

“If you think that we are rich enough that we can afford to have more public holidays than any other state in the country, if you think that things are so great, that there aren’t enough problems to put people into work, that we can afford to shut down businesses on these days and put people out of work, then you’ll probably support what Labor’s doing.”

The Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry has estimated the public holiday on grand final eve will cost the state at least $500 million.