They were always the land of the long white cloud, and we were the land of long weekend, now they want that as well!!!


Final reading looms for Mondayisation bill


KATE CHAPMAN

Last updated 18:33 27/03/2013


A bill to give people Monday off when Anzac and Waitangi Days fall on a weekend is a step closer to being passed.

Labour MP David Clark's Holidays (Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day) Amendment Bill passed its committee stages on a voice vote in Parliament tonight.

A party vote was not called for in time but National has been the only party to oppose the move.

The bill was expected to have its third and final reading on April 17 but the first holiday to coincide with the weekend won't be until 2015.

Clark said he was delighted the bill had passed this hurdle.

"Now there's only the third reading remaining.

"It'd be delightful if the bill was through the House before Anzac Day this year."

He was hopefully National would change its mind and support the bill.

"[Prime Minister] John Key said he won't step in the way, he needs to man up essentially and get on with supporting the bill... perhaps the National Party were taking a tentative first step towards supporting the bill by not calling for a party vote."

National MP Tim MacIndoe did call for a party vote but the voice vote had already been declared twice meaning it was too late.

Key said earlier the Government did not support the bill because of the importance of Waitangi and Anzac Days.

"But the view that we have taken has been that if there is a situation where there is a 3-day holiday, it may encourage others to just treat that as a normal 3-day weekend. We think that is a disservice to those two particular days."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...ayisation-bill