QE II memorial day set for Sept 26

Public Policy / news

PM announces one-day public holiday to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's passing on Monday, Sept 26, same as South Canterbury anniversary day

12th Sep 22, 3:46pm by Bernard Hickey

PM Jacinda Ardern. Photo by Lynn Grieveson for The Kaka.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced New Zealand will mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a State Memorial Service and one-off public holiday on Monday September 26.

“Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary person and I know many New Zealanders will appreciate the opportunity to both mark her death and celebrate her life," Ardern said after Cabinet made the decision in the wake of consulting opposition parties.

ACT and Business NZ opposed the creation of a public holiday on the grounds it would be too expensive for businesses.

“I know many people will want the opportunity to pay their respects and the public holiday offers communities around the country the ability to come together and pay tribute at local events also. The decision to hold a one-off Public Holiday in the Queen’s honour is also in line with similar holidays in the UK and Australia, and is in keeping with what is an historic event,” Ardern said.

Ardern will represent New Zealand, alongside the Governor General Cindy Kiro, at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London next Monday. She will leave New Zealand on Wednesday and travel on to New York after the funeral for the United Nations General Assembly.

Normal Public Holiday requirements under the Holiday’s Act will apply and legislation will be passed next week to bring it into force. Australia's public holiday is on Thursday September 22.

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59 Comments

by GV 27 | 12th Sep 22, 3:52pm 1662954721

Is this a naughty naughty Public Holiday like Easter Friday or Xmas or is a 'sort of' Public Holiday like Easter Sunday or Boxing Day?

by JohnTrz | 12th Sep 22, 11:06pm 1662980804

Monday 26 September, the fourth Monday in September, is the ideal day to mark the death of the Queen and accession of the King. Rather than it be a one-off, the fourth Monday in September should be King's Day every year, replacing the Queen's Birthday Observance, which now shares June with Matariki at the tail of the first six months of the year littered with state holidays.

The fourth (but not the last, which might also be the fifth) Monday of September also handily falls on or just after the Spring Equinox marking the end of winter and lengthening of days, so when the monarchy is dispensed with King's Day would continue as Spring's Day.

South Canterbury's provincial holiday inconvenience is of no account: the provincial holidays are an anachronism, and should be consolidated into a national holiday in mid-January.

by General Comment | 13th Sep 22, 8:05am 1663013124

Making it the fourth Monday of September conveniently places it the day after the move to Daylight Saving, allowing those who struggle with it an extra day to adjust.

I do object to the single national day in mid-January though - in Hawkes Bay we get a 4-day Labour weekend.

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 3:52pm 1662954723

I love the Queen and love the royals.

But I'm sure we can mourn or celebrate her life and service on a weekend, or in our own private ways.

Just because Aussies have a day off doesn't mean we need to act like sheep.

Ardern wants the glory but doesn't care the impact an unexpected day off has on casual workers, employers, logistics etc.

by HW2 | 12th Sep 22, 3:53pm 1662954829

100 percent agree

by GV 27 | 12th Sep 22, 3:54pm 1662954882

What's the impact on casual workers if it's an otherwise working day?

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 3:56pm 1662954962

Zero pay if you are a casual and the employer decides not to operate that day.

by morepork | 12th Sep 22, 4:03pm 1662955409

A casual worker (by definition) would have no guarantee that they would actually get work that day.

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 4:04pm 1662955465

Having a chance to work vs zero chance of work is a significant difference if you want to get into the details.

by Chaosinflesh | 12th Sep 22, 4:29pm 1662956954

You'll probably have to determine if its an 'otherwise working' day. All my casual contracts defined that as working that weekday 3 out of 4 of the preceding weeks - if you're on a casual contract, you might want to check what it says.

AFAICT, it's contract specific (and I'm not a lawyer) - but it'd be very poor form for an employer to not pay you if it was otherwise a normal work day, even if casual.

(And yes, I've employed people and would've been happy to pay it - if your business is so tight you can't afford a 1 day long, 1-in-70 year event you've got some serious questions to ask as to its viability).

by GV 27 | 12th Sep 22, 5:05pm 1662959116

Yea this is more in line with my understanding of how this works.

by Fluffybunny | 12th Sep 22, 4:57pm 1662958653

I will lose about $1200 in lost billable hours. For the death of a lady I've never met.

If its that important to you... and you are a perm worker... take a bereavement sick day.. that's what its for!

Celebrating the British monarchy is an archaic practice & its high time we gave it the boot. Only good for tabloid newspapers.

by Brock Landers | 12th Sep 22, 7:57pm 1662969448

You must be seething about the three days a year you have to take off for Jesus Christ.

by Lanthanide | 12th Sep 22, 6:47pm 1662965274

Casual workers by definition do not have an "ordinary working day".

by GV 27 | 13th Sep 22, 6:43am 1663008185

No, but the principal of an 'otherwise working day' still applies, AFAIK.

by fortunr | 13th Sep 22, 1:20pm 1663032027

It has always been very clear, considering many of its actions and policies, that this government does not give a toss about NZ businesses.

by Iceman | 12th Sep 22, 4:02pm 1662955327

Did not care about the Queen or royal family till today, but thanks for the paid day off 🤣

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 4:03pm 1662955390

Don't get too happy... if your employer decides to cut staff due to spiraling costs.

by MisterB | 12th Sep 22, 4:32pm 1662957139

Scare monger much?

For disclosure - what segment would you fall in to with your quite strong views on the matter - an employer, employee or retiree (noting other reference to the 'wireless' did give me pause for thought too, unless you were being hipster in your vernacular)

Whether or not people use the day for reflection is irrelevant. The economic loss theory can be circular as many would use the day for recreation and spend more.

by JCB123 | 12th Sep 22, 5:23pm 1662960239

Using that logic, we should have more holidays to get the economy moving.

by Lanthanide | 12th Sep 22, 6:50pm 1662965403

Yes, that idea was called The Labour Movement and is why we have 40 hour work weeks. There's even a public holiday to celebrate it.

The standard working week should drop to 35 hours, given the advances in technology. Pay people the same amount for less work.

by Dale Smith | 13th Sep 22, 7:39am 1663011550

If there was one holiday that is now redundant it would be Labour Day given that it was introduced to celebrate NZ being the first country to legislate a 40 hour working week.

Now we work some of the longest hours in the developed world with falling productivity.

by fortunr | 13th Sep 22, 1:28pm 1663032494

Working hours should decrease only after there is a proven and corresponding increase in productivity. Given the dismal productivity in NZ, a drop to 35 hours would only further impact the already low productivity, and cause inflation and loss of competitiveness in the international markets. Notwithstanding what the Greens (or Orr) may think, unfortunately there is no such a thing as a free lunch.

by Eschaton | 13th Sep 22, 8:19am 1663013984

I'd like to see a survey on how many people care about queen and her resource intensive family

by fortunr | 13th Sep 22, 1:31pm 1663032693

Honestly, I personally could not care less about the whole family. Outdated and archaic pageantry only good for tabloids.

by sam-s | 12th Sep 22, 4:06pm 1662955581

Sucks if you're in South Canterbury as that's their anniversary day. Looks like one less days holiday for them

by jimmyH | 12th Sep 22, 5:41pm 1662961318

How many hundreds of millions of productive work has this eliminated on a whimsical but unnecessary sympathy measure,to grasp or garner a retake of 0.25% increase in the PM's softened popularity polling?

Throwing NZ 's money away at any opportunity for profiling.

Those of us who privately mourn the Queen's passing,are quite able to do so,and are doing so ,without penalising business,or casual staff or customers.

Certainly over the mourning period by the due date.

[Edited to remove the unnecessary smear. You can make your point without the personal insult. Ed.]

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 4:13pm 1662956026

Based on what I've heard on the wireless this is more likely to lose her votes.

by jimmyH | 12th Sep 22, 5:42pm 1662961370

If so,as you report,Then she has mis-calculated, Again.

Seems to be all left feet in her moves ,these days.

And utterly over exposed in media.

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 4:43pm 1662957838

Can't wait for Sept 2023.

by Gummy Bear Hero | 13th Sep 22, 9:28am 1663018109

I doubt that ... it would seem out of step for us to not have a one off memorial day for the monarch who ruled over us for 7 decades ...

by stefanblaise | 12th Sep 22, 4:25pm 1662956715

Another payroll theft from small businesses by the government. 95% of businesses in nz are smbs and are suffering from the same inflation ads everyone else. They can't afford to keep having their pockets picked. Labour will be voted out, and/or staff will be let go.

by OldSkoolEconomics | 12th Sep 22, 7:09pm 1662966568

Labour has done untold damage to NZ economy. It will take years to fully unfold and ironically it will do far more long term damage to the poor that they promised to help (and who voted them i) - than the wealthy.

This is another example of a labour party foolish attempt to buy votes from the poor by giving them a free day off. Someone has to pay for the lost revenue and profit - to make sure the business owners make their profit goals. And it sure as eggs wont be the owners.

by Narrabeen Boy | 12th Sep 22, 7:24pm 1662967498

The problem with socialism is sooner or later they'll run out of other people's money to spend.

by ACB | 12th Sep 22, 4:26pm 1662956768

With all the (largely unwarranted IMO) disruption and harm to many businesses and kids schooling over the past two years or so (at least in Auckland), and those teacher's only days which could have occurred during lock down but no, parents had to scramble around again to find a carer, plus an additional public holiday thrown in, this is just another unnecessary disruption. Okay it is a one-off and the Queen was much loved but just give everyone a break from days off!

by Zen20 | 12th Sep 22, 4:38pm 1662957530

Work - the scourge of the drinking classes

by Eschaton | 13th Sep 22, 8:16am 1663013812

I'd like to see a survey on how many people care about queen and her resource intensive family

by phalanax | 12th Sep 22, 4:42pm 1662957778

Cant figure out why official day off isnt Tues the 20th ...The Queens funeral is being held 11am 19th which would be about 10pm same day here..Folk that want to watch it could do so without having to worry about going to work on Tuesday ... Waits for all the folk that watched the funeral to call in sick...and get a long weekend...not very onto it are they?

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 4:43pm 1662957783

So Ardern can fly fancy to London, and we wait for her return. Hence why it isn't on the day of the funeral.

Makes zero sense.

by Gummy Bear Hero | 13th Sep 22, 9:25am 1663017927

... there will be a memorial service for the Queen on September 26 in Wellington , which the PM will be back for ...

by Kate | 12th Sep 22, 5:17pm 1662959857

That's what I thought they'd do. Far more sensible.

by Mr Frank | 12th Sep 22, 4:48pm 1662958082

The people I feel sorry for the those are those needing medical treatment. They may be in severe pain, waited 6 to 12 months, only for them to be shafted and have to wait another 6 to 12 months.

by AdamJay1990 | 12th Sep 22, 5:22pm 1662960144

I am a small business owner who will be taking a hit for this public holiday. But like many, they past couple of years have proven the most fruitful and an extra day off for myself and my employees will be a good rest before the pre-xmas craziness. While I feel for some sectors like hospitality, the bleating from many feels like plain old greed.

by Beanie | 12th Sep 22, 6:45pm 1662965109

Public holidays are good for the hospitality trade.

by kwbrn | 12th Sep 22, 6:10pm 1662963047

It's a day off for Labour supporters bit like tax cuts for were for National supporters. I assume we won't get Queen's Birthday next year.

by sam-s | 12th Sep 22, 6:32pm 1662964371

It will be "King's Birthday" and they have already said its staying

by Gummy Bear Hero | 13th Sep 22, 9:23am 1663017802

... and , it'll be kept to the same date as the former " Queens Birthday " was ... King Charles lll was born on November 14 , apparently ...

by tis i | 12th Sep 22, 6:32pm 1662964338

As a sole contractor I’ll be…..working.

by Zachary Smith | 12th Sep 22, 7:18pm 1662967133

We should have another day off to celebrate the victory over COVID.

by Rob Reid | 12th Sep 22, 9:06pm 1662973565

Good idea. Let's go all the way and have a day off every time we defeat a COVID outbreak or variant.

by nktokyo | 13th Sep 22, 1:02am 1662987737

I have 3 casual workers and we won't trade that day, wrong industry for it. Some people won't earn enough that week and not because their employers are greedy. We can't pay them extra because money is very tight right now.

by Gummy Bear Hero | 13th Sep 22, 9:20am 1663017646

... phone up Robbo , the Minister of Finance has $ Billions to splash around ... ask for a grant ...

by Noncents | 12th Sep 22, 10:24pm 1662978267

The slave traders are plying their wares in this comments section.

Work will set you free... (hopefully not a step to far ed, remove if it is.)

I still cannot see how a single day off going is going to bankrupt all these stunningly successful business people with their awesome business acumen, running highly profitable awesome businesses, who love their employees and are all about their wellbeing, and are just the most awesome boss... just ask their employees.

How about you quit your whining, pay some corporate tax, and let your employees have a day off after two years of slaving away overcoming all the hurdles you have, plus having to put up with you as their shit boss.

by Zachary Smith | 12th Sep 22, 10:55pm 1662980126

Well said Noncents.

by nktokyo | 13th Sep 22, 12:59am 1662987567

That's a lot of victim

by Noncents | 13th Sep 22, 7:03am 1663009437

Does seem to be a lot of them in this particular thread. Thankfully I am not one of them.

by Te Kooti | 13th Sep 22, 5:43pm 1663047831

If you'd been there, you wouldn't have written it.

by Eschaton | 13th Sep 22, 8:20am 1663014022

I'd like to see a survey on how many people here care about the queen and her resource intensive family.

by Rob Reid | 13th Sep 22, 8:18pm 1663057104

For me it's a mix of nostalgia and not wanting another corrupt layer of local politics - an elected president.