Matariki public holiday push

A Wellington MP and the city’s mayor are throwing their weight behind calls for Matariki to become a public holiday.

Mayor Justin Lester suggests the Ma¯ori New Year could replace the Queen’s Birthday holiday, which was not meaningful for many who saw it as just a day off.

He is being supported by Rongotai MP Paul Eagle who wants to ‘‘reignite the debate"’ and is seeking advice on putting up a Member’s Bill. A Member’s Bill was put up by the Ma¯ori Party in 2009 and was supported by Labour but didn’t get past the first reading, losing 63 to 59.

‘‘It’s a very different time now. Back then people were getting used to the concept of a Ma¯ori New Year. Now it’s part of the fabric of New Zealand. I think people are more ready for it.’’

Last year Wellington City Council cancelled its 2018 Guy Fawkes Sky Show, moving the fireworks display to Matariki on July 7.

The capital is putting Matariki at the heart of a new month-long winter festival, with $250,000 allocated for the celebrations, which will start on June 15.

Yesterday, Lester said he believed it was time to revisit the idea of making Matariki a public holiday.

‘‘For many New Zealanders, Queen’s Birthday is just a day off – we are increasingly embracing Matariki and establishing it as a public holiday will entrench it in the calendar and reflect the country’s increasing embrace of tangata whenua.

‘‘This is about celebrating something that is uniquely New Zealand in Matariki.’’

The idea would be supported by some iwi and Wellington would continue to lead the charge on it, he said.

However, he felt a national conversation was important for it to go through the parliamentary process for a law change.

‘‘Wellington mana whenua are very supportive,’’ Lester said.

Matariki celebrations were once popular but stopped in the 1940s before being revived from 2000.

The Queen’s Birthday holiday was first observed in New Zealand on June 7 1954, a year after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Her actual birthday is April 21.