Moving of summer draws wave of support

Changing the timing of our summer holidays could become reality, after a wave of popular support made politicians sit up and take notice.

United Future leader Peter Dunne is promising to champion the issue, after noticing the strong response to a Herald article investigating whether we should change our summer break.

A Herald poll shows 65 per cent of 19,200 voters would back some change to our peak holiday time.

Of that 65 per cent, 31 per cent wanted it moved to January/February, and 34 per cent wanted it moved to February/March.

Only 26 per cent of voters wanted it to stay the same.

Someone needs to step up and try and run this. That’s what I’m prepared to do. Peter Dunne, United Future leader

Peter Dunne said that was a strong reaction to take notice of. He’s now looking at ways to test wider public opinion so that he has the evidence to champion the issue.

“I imagine a petition will come back pretty strongly, and if it does, I’ll take the matter up with the Government.

“I haven’t discussed it with them yet, but I want to get all the support lined up before raising it.”

Dunne preferred the idea of moving to a February/March holiday period, but said any change would be at least two years away.

“You can’t do this on a bitsy basis, you’ve got to have everyone in.

“You’ve got to have the schools in, you’ve got to have the school year reorganised, Government departments in terms of the way their leave programmes work.

“You’ve then got to get the private sector involved,” Dunne said.

“It’s quite a job lining everyone up. But I think you’ve got to start the process. Someone needs to step up and try and run this. That’s what I’m prepared to do.”

Prime Minister Bill English was not available for comment.