No day off for land wars
The Government has made it very clear: The Land Wars commemoration day will not be a public holiday.
A commemorative day was announced last week after pressure from local communities and a school-led petition asked for a day of recognition.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English says some people have misunderstood what has been agreed.
‘‘We’ve taken a view that there’s no need for a public holiday and in any case, there isn’t yet agreement about a date even just for a commemoration.’’
The decision had come out of discussion with the Maori Party, and English was ‘‘pretty sure’’ it had been approved by Cabinet.
Yet, Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox called for a public holiday and believed it was ‘‘still up for debate’’.
English also says any commemorations on the day should be locally-led.
‘‘The Government provides some resource, but this has to be something that people want to own, not something that’s pushed on them,’’ English says.
‘‘It’s up to the people who want to see a commemoration occur. There was a bit of a ceremony last week with the handover of one of the pa
‘‘The Government provides some resource, but this has to be something that people want to own, not something that's pushed on them’’
Bill English
sites to Tainui where a significant battle occurred in the Waikato. There may be more of that. That’ll unfold as we go.’’
Prime Minister John Key says no progress had been made yet on choosing a date: ‘‘We are saying it’s likely there might be agreement at some point that that commemoration date can be set, but it would be also subject, I think, to iwi agreeing.’’
A current public holiday could possibly we swapped out, says Labour leader Andrew Little suggesting provincial holidays could be scrapped in lieu of a national New Zealand Wars commemoration day.
‘‘I don’t understand why we continue to celebrate provincial holidays when we haven’t had provincial government since 1863.’’
He agreed the Queen’s Birthday holiday could be another option.
‘‘There is a case to be made for an observance by way of a day off,’’ he says.