Crio’s Q? – Friday’s holiday

What’s the consensus about Melbourne’s Public Holiday this Friday? Some friends with shops are not opening due to penalty rates. Many lunches are shifting to Thursday night dinners. I suspect it will be a big night on Thursday in the pubs and clubs and that the good weather might rescue Friday’s parade and paraphernalia. But I reckon it is not a good call. Others?

Comments

  1. This country has been built on long weekends having Monday as the holiday, which is what we have here this weekend, it just works.

  2. I haven’t worked in a single office where the full compliment of staff were on deck after lunch on the Friday of Grand Final week with people using accrued flexitime or whatever to head off early (myself included now that the Almanac GF Lunch exists).

    Likewise, getting in touch with people on the Friday afternoon when I have returned to the office in the afternoon wasn’t the best time to be making calls.

    I’m all for the public holiday. What kind of a joint has this place become when we sook about getting a day off? Fair dinkum… (smh)

  3. Well, Stone Cold Steve Baker Thompson Harvey Duckworth , i’ve not seen a more nuanced comment than yours. I totally concur with you.

    Glen!

  4. Peter Fuller says

    Steve,
    Your first para is precisely my reason for thinking that the public holiday is no big deal. I think the only reason the proposal has generated controversy is the effort by certain elements of the business community to push their campaign for the watering down (and preferably abolition) of penalty rates. Because the business lobby has preferential access to the media, any weapon in that campaign gets a run.

    The other point which has been largely over-looked is that it isn’t too far back in Victorian history that the Thursday of Grand Final week was the Show Day holiday, so this is merely a preferable (long weekend) restoration of the status quo ante.

  5. Love it. The Parade and the festival they are setting up in Yarra Park will work a treat – just a shame the old MCG pub on Wellington Pde is closed.

  6. Embrace and enjoy the carnival.
    It may feel a bit different the first time but the city and people will adjust accordingly (or scrap it after one year).
    As a Brisbane resident I suggest making it a national public holiday.

  7. Mr Fuller, your words echo my thoughts.

    Glen!

  8. Jock, I love your humour, the country has been built on long weekends!…….

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