Tasmania’s parliament is set to debate a Labor bill this week that would make Easter Sunday a public holiday, bringing the state into line with the rest of the country.
Tasmania is the only state in Australia where Easter Sunday isn’t recognised as a public holiday.
Labor leader Josh Willie said the change was about fairness for workers in retail, hospitality, aged care and disability support.
He said Tasmanian workers were missing out on pay and conditions available to their mainland counterparts doing identical jobs.
“When most Tasmanians are spending the day with their families, Easter Sunday workers are keeping our state running,” he said.
Standing alongside Willie on Sunday, young retail worker Blake Facey said he has often worked Easter Sunday and thinks staff should get “valued family time or be properly compensated for sacrificing it”.
“It means that I don’t get to enjoy that day,” he said.
“I have to stay down here in Hobart instead of making the trip up to Burnie to be with my family and miss out on what has been a long-standing tradition in my family to have an Easter lunch.”
“This is a modest change, and it’s not that much to ask for. It’s not radical.”
Labor is urging all members of parliament to back the bill.
“Easter Sunday is part of the Easter holiday – it’s time our laws reflected that, and time those working on Easter Sunday start getting fair recognition,” he said.
But Premier Jeremy Rockliff has previously confirmed the state government would oppose the legislation.
Rockliff said small businesses couldn’t absorb the penalty rates that come with public holiday status.
“People will lose their jobs as a result of that because small businesses cannot afford the penalty provisions of Easter, therefore they’ll close their businesses and no one will be employed,” he said.
“I would prefer to see people employed on Easter Sunday rather than not employed.”
The business lobby has backed the premier’s position.
TCCI CEO Michael Bailey described Labor’s move as “tone deaf”.
“With businesses of all shapes and sizes being smashed by the rising cost of fuel due to the Iran war, it is tone deaf for the Labor Party to seek to drop an extra public holiday on top of them,” Bailey said on Sunday.
“There are already two public holidays over Easter – Good Friday and Easter Monday, not to mention Easter Tuesday which is also a public holiday for most of the public service, causing mass confusion in the community every year.”
The Greens have signalled support for the bill, while unions have also backed the push.
