Bills
Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025
Second reading
Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting.
The Speaker: Just before I give the member the call, members of the opposition, if you want to have conversations, please do it very quietly or take it outside the chamber.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski (Kingsley—Minister for Child Protection) (2:48 pm): I rise to make a contribution to the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025, which we are discussing today. We are looking at bringing in sensible changes. We are changing some of the dates to align with the eastern states and introducing a new public holiday in Western Australia.
As a former small-business owner and somebody who used to order stock regularly from the eastern states, I can say that the ability to align more constructively with eastern states businesses will be welcomed by small-business owners and in fact a lot of businesses, regardless of whether they are small or big, and will enable them to increase their capacity to interact with colleagues in the eastern states. I know that we like to think that we are very individual here in Western Australia, and we are, but the fact is that we work in an economy that requires us to have interactions with the eastern states and, for that reason alone, this bill is a very good idea.
I want to talk mainly about why this bill is a good idea for Western Australians. Most members in this place would agree with me that Western Australia is the most beautiful place to live and work and, for me, to raise a family. It is the most beautiful place in Australia and, arguably for me, the most beautiful place in the world, so it was a little heartbreaking over the last number of years on WA Day, when I was thinking about taking my young family to celebrate WA Day, to see a wet and rainy day and to see it washed out and not be able to celebrate the fact that we are the most beautiful state in the most wonderful country in the world. It only makes sense that we would move WA Day to a warmer part of the year.
One of the things that we love in Western Australia is being outside, whether it is when we are doing sporting activities or are out socialising. In fact, I tell a story of when I had a Japanese exchange student come and live with me for a few weeks a number of years ago. When we took her to the airport, we asked her what was her favourite part about visiting Western Australia and she said, "You do so many things outside; you are always outside." Admittedly, we eat dinner outside most times during summer. We took her to an outdoor concert and my kids' Little Athletics wind-up, which was on 17 March. I remember that year because we were all dressed in green, even though our club colours were yellow. We also took her to the only remaining outdoor drive-in cinema in the metropolitan area in Western Australia, the Galaxy Drive-In Theatre in Kingsley. Coming from Japan, where the weather is very different, she found that aspect of our lifestyle to be the most intriguing and the thing that she loved the most about visiting Western Australia—we did everything outside. Moving WA Day to November to allow us to celebrate our wonderful state outside makes complete sense.
As well as introducing new public holidays, the changes will also give families the opportunity to wander out yonder. It is a shame that my colleague who was the former Minister for Tourism is not in the house at the moment, because the Wander Out Yonder campaign was one of the most successful campaigns that we saw during the COVID pandemic. The COVID pandemic was a difficult time for everyone. I do not think anybody will ever dispute that. However, one of the good outcomes for Western Australia and Western Australians was that we were forced to holiday in our own backyard. One of the first holidays I took during the COVID pandemic was to Kalgoorlie. I had never taken my kids to Kalgoorlie. It is a wonderful place to take kids, especially if people have, as I did at the time, very young boys who are obsessed with trucks and tyres. Taking him to Kalgoorlie and into the Super Pit to look at the big mining trucks is something he talks about to this day. The capacity for Western Australian families to utilise public holiday long weekends to wander out yonder should not be underestimated, not just for family and community cohesiveness but also for our economy. We drove to Kalgoorlie because we had a pop-up camper trailer. We stayed at the local caravan park, we did about three different tours while we were there, we ate out at either lunch or dinner each day, and we bought little gifts to take home to nieces and nephews and cousins. We spent our holiday money in our own backyard.
This is a good thing for Western Australia's economy. It really struck me last week that all the good things that will come from bringing in a bill to increase the number of public holidays and to align some of our public holidays with those in the eastern states were met with such arrogance and out-of-touch attitudes from members opposite. We heard the Leader of the Opposition blustering: "Everybody has the day off!" I am sorry; everybody does not have Easter Saturday off. The Leader of the Opposition probably lived a very privileged life and never had to work in retail or hospitality.
Withdrawal of remark
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Mr Speaker, I ask that you ask the minister to withdraw that comment about a personal reflection on the Leader of the Opposition, particularly given your statement at the start of question time.
The Speaker: Yes, member.
A member interjected.
The Speaker: No, member for Mandurah. I will uphold that point of order. Minister, can you please withdraw that?
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: I withdraw that I suggested that he might not have worked in retail or hospitality.
Proceeding resumed
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: But, Mr Speaker, I did. I worked in many hospitality and retail jobs. I merely reflect that the dramatic response that we saw in this chamber last week seems to indicate that he does not understand that people work on Saturdays and that people work on Easter Saturdays.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, interjections are not required.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: One of my first jobs was working on the check-out at the Supa Valu at Candlewood Village Shopping Centre. When I got a little older and I had some skills in waitressing—I can still carry three plates, which my children find very entertaining—I used to work at Pepperino's Restaurant and the Old Bailey in Joondalup. I also worked at the Grapevine Italian Restaurant in Heathridge and I did five weeks at Paramount Nightclub, but that was because I was not very good so I did not keep working there. Why am I telling members my CV history in retail and hospitality? It is because I worked in retail and hospitality and I worked many an Easter Saturday over the years. I earned my per hour amount and I was paid, but what I did not get on those Easter Saturdays was time at home with my family. People could say that I was a teenager or in my early 20s and I probably would not have spent that time with my family anyway. I would have, and I do. Some of my fondest memories growing up are of heading down to the BIG4 Taunton Farm Holiday Park and feeding the animals and going to the cheese factory next door—before it burnt down—and spending time with my family for the four days over the Easter long weekend when I was not working or was too young to work.
When I was 18 and working at the Old Bailey in Joondalup—the pub, not the former court in the UK—I missed out on that family holiday. My parents went with my younger sister and family friends. We used to travel every Easter to the Margaret River region. I missed out. I got to stay with my brother, because he worked in the bar at the Old Bailey and I worked on the tables. It really hit home to me that I was missing out on family time. As silly as it sounds, I was missing out on doing the Easter egg hunt that we used to do, even as older teenagers, because it was a family tradition. It was a part of our family upbringing that we continued to do Easter egg hunts well into our teenage years. It sounds silly, but it was something that I loved about our family. I missed out because I was working.
For the Leader of the Opposition to claim that everybody gets that day off anyway is pure arrogance. It is out of touch and it is disrespectful to those who work on Easter Saturday, because the work that is done on that day is as important as that done on any other day. But so is being at home with family and being able to celebrate or spend time with family. If workers are not allowed to do that, they should be adequately compensated. Bringing in this legislation and acknowledging and thanking those retail workers is a respectful thing to do. The disrespect we heard coming from those opposite last week was disgusting. I say to Jason and the IGA team at Woodvale, to Zoe and her team at Baker's Delight, to the hard workers at Kmart in Warwick, Coles in Greenwood and Woolies in Woodvale: We see you. We value you. We know that the work that you do should not go uncompensated, and just because you do not work in jobs that the opposition likes and values—
Ms Libby Mettam: Rubbish.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: You said everybody has that day off. I am demonstrating that not everybody has that day off and even claiming that—
Several members interjected.
The Deputy Speaker: Thank you! Let the minister continue.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: Members opposite claiming that everybody has that day off is disrespectful and disgusting.
I say to all retail workers: We see you and we value you. We thank you for giving up your family time and your long weekends to work so that forgetful aunties like me can run in on Easter Saturday and pick up Easter eggs for the cousins they did not think they were going to see but are now going to see for Easter Sunday. We thank you for being there. We thank you for the work that you do.
As we know, members, a fish rots from the head. After watching a disgraceful display from the Leader of the Opposition, I was not surprised to hear what the rest of the opposition decided to put forth on this debate. The member for Nedlands repeatedly said that no-one asked for this. Yes, they did, member for Nedlands. All those people who work and service the member for Nedlands and his family and community on a Saturday, whether it is Easter Saturday or not, asked for it. I understand that the member did not speak to those people because you guys do not speak to many people in your community, but they did ask for it. Not once did anybody ever talk to me about their needs—
Several members interjected.
Point of order
Ms Rita Saffioti: Point of order.
Several members interjected.
The Deputy Speaker: The point of order will be heard in silence.
Ms Rita Saffioti: The interjections from the other side are making it impossible for the minister to continue her speech. She is detailing this government's position on the public holiday bill, and, again, she is not calling for interjections. It is a disgrace that members on the other side think they have the right to consistently interject on women on their feet in this place.
The Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Deputy Premier. I will uphold that point of order because the Speaker has already gone to great lengths to outline the behaviour in this house. Member for Kingsley, would you please continue but maybe try not to goad the other side too much if you are not accepting interjections.
Proceeding resumed
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: The member for Nedlands also said that this was a political bribe dressed up as compassion, a sop to union bosses and not a plan for working families. I would contest that he means only working families that do not have members who are workers in retail and hospitality, because the families of those workers know they work on Saturdays and Easter Saturday. Then we heard the ridiculous claim from the member for Geraldton that this legislation will punish small businesses. Unfortunately, the member for Geraldton has stepped out of the chamber.
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: I am not quite sure whether the minister was away for the start of question time, but the Speaker specifically ruled that referring to members who are not present in the chamber and making, basically, an accusation that they are not here is disorderly. I ask that you—
Ms Rita Saffioti: No he didn't.
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Yes, he did—read it!
The Deputy Speaker: I will not uphold the point of order, but I will remind you, please, to be very careful.
Proceeding resumed
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: It was merely that I looked up and saw she was not here. That was all. I am not reflecting on her being here or not. But I would suggest that maybe the member needs to reflect on what the Speaker did say at the start of question time because perhaps then he would not be on three calls.
The member for Geraldton said that this bill will hit small business hard and described it as a "policy written for press releases and not the people". Deputy Speaker, I have been a small-business owner. I have been a retail small-business owner. I know that there is a tricky balance between the need to look after your staff and to look after your small business. As a small-business owner, I understood fully that I had a responsibility to look after my staff. If that meant compensating them for time away from their families over the Easter period, that is what I would do. In fact, that is what I did. I understood that the health of my small business relied on my staff being happy and productive and well valued. This again shows the complete lack of understanding and compassion of those opposite.
I will move to the political timing and motive argument that was put up, which actually just exposes the inexperience and naivety of members opposite on how legislation works.
(Quorum formed.)
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: I can only assume that the member wishes to have more people here to hear how inexperienced opposition members are and how they lack an understanding of the legislative process.
In this place, we have two different houses. Legislation is drafted and brought into one house first. It is debated and then it proceeds to the other house. It usually happens that it is introduced in our house and then goes to the other place. As a government, we manage the progression of legislation, and the Leader of the House is very, very good at that. But we have to acknowledge that there is such little leadership of members opposite that they cannot ensure that we will pass a piece of legislation, the surrogacy legislation, in the upper house this year. For them to say that we are introducing this change in 2028 with a political motive, as a sweetener for the election, is ludicrous and clearly demonstrates their lack of understanding of how legislation works.
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Why does it take us two years to pass the bill? It doesn't make sense.
The Deputy Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, your continual interjections are really tiring for everyone. I am sure they are for your own team as well.
Mr Lachlan Hunter: They love it.
The Deputy Speaker: Honestly. We have had enough warnings today. Please, please try to limit your interjections.
(Member's time extended.)
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: As I was saying, there is a complete lack of understanding. The member just chirped in with a very immature interjection around us taking two years to pass a bill. No, member, it does not take two years to pass a bill, but with a bill like this, which has a wideranging impact, we want to ensure that those who have to implement it, such as small business owners, have an opportunity and a good lead-in time, so we will not introduce this bill next year and pass it with less than a year for them to organise. When we pass the bill next year, they will have at least 12 months, taking us to January 2028.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: Who would have—
Point of order
Ms Rita Saffioti: Deputy Speaker, you have asked the member for Central Wheatbelt not to interject. He is interjecting constantly. He cannot keep quiet in this place. I again ask you to call this member to order.
The Deputy Speaker: You are dangerously close, member for Central Wheatbelt, and I would say it is probably your last warning. Member, please continue.
Proceeding resumed
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: I was just trying to demonstrate that if we passed the bill in 2026 and then decided to bring it in in 2027, we would not be giving due time to those businesses that have to implement it. We are a considerate government and we want to be able to give them at least 12 months notice that this will happen, so 2028 is the first opportunity that we would have to do this. It has nothing to do with sweeteners or an election. In fact, the argument that it does just shows the immaturity of the understanding of those opposite on this issue. I cannot understand how members opposite would think that this is a bad idea. This makes sense in every aspect, whether it is for small businesses, large businesses, families, tourism or the economy. The opposition should get on board and stop being a "no-alition". The Western Australian public will not thank it for this.
Mr Dave Kelly (Bassendean) (3:11 pm): I rise to make a contribution in support of the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. This bill makes important and meaningful improvements to the working lives of many Western Australians and it is not earth-shattering for the economy, but as usual we hear commentary from the other side that if this bill passes, somehow some catastrophe will fall on businesses here in Western Australia. That is just the typical rhetoric that we get from the Liberal Party and Nationals WA every time we try to improve the working lives of Western Australian workers. That is how it has always been. It has always been the Labor Party that improves working conditions, and every time we do it it has always been the Liberals and Nationals that oppose it. We do not have to look at this bill. We do not have to look at last week. There are lots of other examples.
I had a few minutes and watched a bit of SBS over the weekend. There was a program with a little segment about the 1970s when the hosties, the hostesses, of Ansett Airways went on strike for better pay and conditions. Watching it now, it was hilarious, but it was the 1970s and Gough Whitlam had just been elected Prime Minister. Gough Whitlam, with the support of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, had pushed an equal pay case through the federal Arbitration Commission. The hostesses—I think they were all women at the time—had put a claim on Ansett for improved conditions. At Ansett in the 1970s a hostess had to retire at 35 years of age. Can you believe it? They had to quit after three months if they became pregnant and they had to retire at 35 years of age. The hostesses put a claim on Ansett to put the retirement age out to, believe it or not, 45 years of age, and they went on strike. Sir Reginald Ansett—you know, Reg—called them a batch of old boilers, so it became known as the old boilers strike. All his existing staff were under 35 years of age because they had to retire. They had to sign something when they got the job to say that they would retire at 35 years of age. He called his own staff a batch of old boilers. That is the sort of stuff that women have had to put up with. I was young in the 1970s, but it certainly was in my lifetime. It was the federal Labor government, with the election of Gough Whitlam, that took up the cause of equal pay for women, and that was the basis upon which the hostesses at Ansett fought their case. In the end Reg had to give in, so they got their retirement age extended to 45.
There was also a segment in that same show about the first woman who wanted to become a pilot at Ansett—heaven forbid!—and Reginald Ansett said it would never happen and he would never let a woman fly one of his planes. Ultimately, he was forced to. I turn to some of the arguments that were used. One was that a woman pilot might have an ectopic pregnancy while flying. Heaven forbid a bloke might have a stroke or accidentally drop his coffee on his private parts—things can happen to blokes as well—but women might have an ectopic pregnancy while flying on Ansett plane and that was the reason they could not be pilots.
The Labor Party has always fought against those sorts of arguments. It has always been the Labor Party that has improved working conditions. Members opposite, when was the last time the Liberals and National Parties actually pushed an improvement in workers' wages and conditions? I cannot think of one. So here we are again with some modest improvements in the working lives of Western Australians. We get the same old arguments: "No-one in the Labor Party has ever run a business", and, "You don't know what small business is all about"—that sort of stuff.
Mr Jonathan Huston interjected.
Mr Dave Kelly: You just have to say that and the member for Nedlands springs into action. I have said this before in this place. As well as having worked for a trade union, I was the director of the Bayswater Community Bank for 17 years.
Mr Jonathan Huston interjected.
Mr Dave Kelly: The member for Nedlands is laughing at that.
Mr Jonathan Huston: I am because you do not take responsibility.
Mr Dave Kelly: The member for Nedlands—
Mr Jonathan Huston interjected.
Point of order
Ms Rita Saffioti: I again refer to the continuous interjections from the opposition.
The Deputy Speaker: The member for Bassendean was referring to something you said previously. The member for Bassendean is on his feet and is entitled to have his say. I uphold that point of order.
Proceeding resumed
Mr Dave Kelly: The member for Nedlands' interjection just shows how little he understands Australian company law. He thinks that a director has no responsibility. It is extraordinary. That is why so many people on that that side of the house get into trouble when they run a business. I was the director of the community bank for 17 years before I became a member of cabinet. When the community got together to form that community bank, because the big banks had all moved out, we had to negotiate with Bendigo Bank.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Suspension of member
The Deputy Speaker: I am calling the member for Central Wheatbelt to order for the fourth time. That was completely unparliamentary to shout across the chamber floor to the Deputy Premier. As the member has been called to order for more than three times, I will now suspend the member from the service of the house until the adjournment of today's sitting.
The member for Central Wheatbelt left the chamber.
The Deputy Speaker: I am sorry to have had to do that. It is the first time I have done that, but today is the day to make sure that we are upholding these things. I will not hesitate to remove further members if they continue to interject.
Proceeding resumed
Mr Dave Kelly: As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, when we were setting up the bank, we had to negotiate with Bendigo Bank on the franchise agreement to establish the community bank. Members might not understand that to set up one of these banks, a local company needs to be set up and that company then signs a franchise agreement with Bendigo Bank. We had to negotiate the franchise agreement in 1999, which was not very long ago. I can remember the meeting in which we got the franchise agreement, which was a pretty weighty document, I have to say. I took it home and read it. One of the conditions tucked down the back—we were all pretty excited to start this community bank; the community was right behind it—that Bendigo Bank had in its franchise agreement was that every member of staff, who would be our employees, the local company's employees, not Bendigo Bank's employees, had to be employed under an Australian workplace agreement under John Howard's WorkChoices legislation. When I saw that, I thought, "We're not going to have that. We want to value our staff. We want to have staff who have the same feeling of worth that the community feels towards the bank itself." So we had a big barney with Bendigo Bank. We said, "We're not going to sign your franchise agreement unless you allow us to have a collective agreement negotiated with the union for the bank staff."
In the end, Bendigo Bank agreed with that proposition and the Community Bank Bayswater became the first community bank in Australia to have a collective agreement negotiated with the Finance Sector Union. Our staff really appreciated that. They understood that the board of the bank valued their contribution. The Community Bank Bayswater has been one of the most successful community banks in the whole of Australia. Apart from the first few years when we did not turn a profit, we have turned a profit every year since. When I left in 2017, there was something like $300 million worth of business in loans and deposits. It has been a great enterprise, and a cornerstone of that enterprise is that we valued the staff. On this side of the house, we value staff in a way that the other side does not understand. It just does not understand.
There are a few people on the other side who—I suspect, or I would suggest—have not moved on from the days of Sir Reginald Ansett. He did not value his staff, and that is what we get from members opposite when we debate this bill.
Mr Adam Hort: Who? Who on this side?
Mr Dave Kelly: What was that? You are all opposed to this bill.
Mr Adam Hort: No, we are not.
Several members interjected.
Mr Dave Kelly: The commentary members opposite have made—okay, I will withdraw that. Members have said they are going to vote for it, but have raised all sorts of concerns with it. They are having it both ways. They are not brave enough to vote against it, but they got up and bagged it.
Mr Adam Hort: You are not brave enough to say who is against their employees. You have just said some of us do not value employees.
The Deputy Speaker: Thank you, member.
Mr Dave Kelly: Members of the Liberal and National Parties constantly show that they do not have the same respect as we do for working people in Western Australia. I put the challenge to members opposite: Name one significant advance in working conditions for workers in Western Australia that has been promoted and driven by the other side of the house. I cannot think of one. I can point to a number of basic working conditions that they have sought to significantly undermine. I will start with sick leave and annual leave.
In 1993, when the Court government was elected, it introduced workplace agreements legislation, which allowed employers, for the first time in this country, to offer contracts of employment that undercut awards of the Industrial Relations Commission. What happened? The Chamber of Commerce and Industry produced standard work contracts that employers took out and told staff they had to sign in order to get a job. Overnight, workers in industries like cleaning and security lost the ability to get sick leave and annual leave because the standard contract offered in security and cleaning employed everybody as a casual. No-one was entitled to sick leave or annual leave. We can say, "Look, you know, if people didn't want the job, they didn't have to sign it" but if you are a cleaner or a security guard and the only jobs offered in that whole industry are jobs based on casual employment—no sick leave and no annual leave—what choice do you have?
In the 1990s, that legislation wiped out annual leave and sick leave in whole industries in Western Australia. That legislation was so successful from an employer's point of view that when John Howard got control of both houses of Parliament federally, he picked it up and it became WorkChoices. Annual leave and sick leave were out the door in the workplace promoted by the Liberals and Nationals. Members on the other side of the house said that paid maternity leave would be a complete disaster and employers would go broke. Again, paid maternity leave, even in the modest form that is in the current Fair Work Act, has not been catastrophic for the Australian economy. But members opposite—the Liberal and National Parties—said that is what would happen, and they resisted it for years. We wonder why the Liberals and National Party have a problem attracting women to run as candidates into their ranks. It is because they promote working conditions that attack the ability of women to participate, raise a family and do all the things that women would like to do—have a career—and they do it year after year. This bill is another example of that.
In my experience, the working condition that members opposite probably hate the most are penalty rates. The idea that workers in a range of industries should get penalty rates for working on weekends, evenings, Saturdays, Sundays—those sorts of things. In the real world that those of us on this side of the house have operated in, the opposition to those penalty rates from the Liberal and National Parties has been absolutely constant. It gathered steam during the workplace agreements era. It was then taken national through the individual contracts promoted by WorkChoices. If it was up to the Liberal and National Parties, everybody in this country would be employed as a casual and they would not be entitled to penalty rates or sick leave. It just would not happen. They can say, "Oh, that's fanciful. We would never attempt to do that." But that is what they did in this state with the workplace agreements legislation and that is what happened federally with WorkChoices.
Here we are with this public holiday bill. The argument against public holidays is that if a business is going to open, it will have to pay an additional premium on those days. The number of times I have heard that penalty rates are going to destroy businesses and send businesses broke, especially in the hospitality industry—it has been constant for decades from the other side of the house. Believe it or not, on a weekend or a public holiday in Perth, we can still get a cup of coffee, buy a pizza and go to a restaurant. The hospitality industry has not ground to a halt because of penalty rates on public holidays.
(Member's time extended.)
Mr Dave Kelly: Every time there is a new public holiday or a change in the penalty rates or whatever, the opposition says that the world will come to an end for industries like the hospitality sector, but it has not. People can still buy a cup of coffee, a pizza and go to the pub. The world continues. It is like when I said I would give up drinking when beer became $2 a middy. Beer became $2 a middy and I kept drinking—believe it or not! It is the same thing. Wages go up, things improve, it gets worked into the economy and the industries adjust.
While I was talking about the hospitality industry, I talked about Reg Ansett. I mention the member for Canning, Andrew Hastie. He put out a video a couple of weeks ago. He has done some weird videos. It is the one in which he said that his political philosophy is based on a 15th century painting. I thought that was pretty unusual. He also put out one in which he was basically extolling the virtues of reintroducing manufacturing in Australia. He was leaning on a car saying that they were the sorts of cars that we should be building blah, blah, blah. He made what he thought was a throwaway comment. He said, "We are becoming a nation of flat white makers," and he went on, as though the worst thing someone could do is be employed in the hospitality industry. Thousands of people in Australia are employed in the hospitality industry. Without even knowing it, he just gave them all a cuff around the ears by saying that what they do does not matter. A barista working in the hospitality industry is someone to be avoided, in Andrew Hastie's eyes. Some people in that industry do it while they are studying, some do it to supplement their family income while others in the family work, and some people want to make a career out of it. Andrew Hastie, the member for Canning, aspires to be a future Leader of the Liberal Party. Let us be honest; that is what he wants. Sussan Ley has a target on her back from Andrew Hastie. He aspires to lead the nation and just, off the cuff, gave a slap to people who work in hospitality, and he did it without even thinking. It is part of the macho arrogance of many men in the Liberal Party—
Mr Adam Hort: Who?
Mr Dave Kelly: Andrew Hastie, for one. That is what I was just saying. That is offhand arrogance. Does the member for Kalamunda appreciate people who work in the hospitality industry or not?
Mr Adam Hort: Absolutely.
Mr Dave Kelly: I did not hear the member for Kalamunda come out on social media and criticise Andrew Hastie for giving baristas a slap around the ears. He is prepared to say it now, but not out there in the public. Maybe he is one of the people in the Liberal Party who is not willing to stand up to bullies like Andrew Hastie.
Mr Adam Hort interjected.
Mr Dave Kelly: That is right, because that is what he did.
I have represented workers in the hospitality industry and seen how hard they work. I have made coffees here and in the UK. I know how hard the work is. The member for Nedlands is having a chuckle in the background. He cannot believe it. Members opposite say that working in the hospitality industry is not hard work. It absolutely is.
Members on this side of the house believe that this bill is about making some well-deserved improvements to the working conditions of the people of Western Australia, retail workers in particular, who will enjoy having Easter Saturday recognised as a public holiday. That is overdue in this state. It is applicable in other states and the world has not come to an end. That is what this bill is about. An additional public holiday—Show Day—again, will not cause the economy to crack in the way that members opposite say that it will.
Having spoken about hospitality workers, I know that there are many hospitality employers, especially in regional Western Australia, who will love the fact that there will be an additional public holiday so that people in metropolitan Perth will go out into the country and have another long weekend in regional WA. We have not heard that from the Nationals. Public holidays are what drives a lot of people from the Perth metropolitan area out into the regions to spend money in the regions. We never hear that from members opposite. I just do not get it. They automatically go into the Sir Reginald Ansett mode and attack any improvements in working conditions for Western Australians.
The Labor Party will continue to introduce gradual and sensible improvements to the working conditions of workers in Western Australia. I hope that I will see the day when we move something in this house and see genuine, wholehearted support from members opposite, rather than the same old arguments we have heard on this bill. Thank you very much.
Ms Sook Yee Lai (Bibra Lake) (3:36 pm): I will speak in support of the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. This bill has been a long time coming. The first thing that comes to my mind about public holidays is my childhood. I come from a family of small-business owners. My parents had a grocery shop on Christmas Island and I have fond memories of going home after school and doing the chores and then riding my bike and helping out at the shop. I learnt from a very young age how to stack shelves, clean and talk to customers. I also manned the till while my parents were busy. My parents worked all week. I do not think they took a break. They worked from Monday to Sunday without a break. It was basically one of three grocery shops on Christmas Island, which is a very remote and regional place that is north-west of Western Australia. I have really fond memories of growing up in and around the shop and of the community coming in and asking for products when the ships came. It was a real sight on the days when a ship came in or the freight was delivered by air. Basically, the whole community would descend upon the shops and grab the fresh produce that hit the shelves or was in the fridge. That was a lot of work. I remember my mum waking up way before sunrise and cooking curry puffs or wontons or whatever it was to sell at the front of the shop to the workshop workers across the road who would come to the shop on their coffee break. Watching my mum and dad working really hard impressed upon me that strong work ethic. As a kid, of course, I longed for a break to have a bit of fun and to play. I longed for a time when my parents were free to take us to the beach or go fishing on a boat and do fun things.
I am not sure whether members know that Christmas Island is the only place in Australia that has public holidays for Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, also known as Eid. I did not know that until I came to Perth when I was 15 and on the first day of Chinese New Year I remember my mum saying, "You've got to get yourself ready for school." I turned to her, shocked in a way, "But, it's a public holiday!" and she said to me, "No, not on the mainland." I was very sad about that, but hopefully one day it might become a public holiday. That is why I appreciate Easter and Christmas, because I understand that it is unique to this place and to the broader mainstream community here. On Christmas Island we also had Easter and Christmas public holidays, but the sweetener was Chinese New Year and Hari Raya, because we really looked forward to it. We prepared for it. My parents would make sure everything was in order before we shut down for the week because it was a week, especially when Hari Raya and Chinese New Year would collide on the lunar calendar. That is when we would have four public holidays. It is wonderful for the community, for the locals, but it is not wonderful for tourists. A few years back, when I was on Christmas Island during this festive season, I bumped into some Singaporean tourists. They asked us whether any shops, restaurants, cafes or pubs were open. They were there from Tuesday to Friday—for only a short period. They said, "We are here to take pictures of the magnificent bird life and go diving. We were just expecting it to be a little bit like Singapore, with food and restaurants at our fingertips." My heart sank because it was Chinese New Year. I told them that that evening we had a community celebration, basically a little night market, with free food put on by the company alongside the shire. The tourists said, "But what about the other days?" I said, "I'm sorry, but it's closed for the public holidays." I felt really bad. I knew some of the locals there because I was a local, and I asked them whether they could open for these tourists to quickly buy some things. It saved them because I think they bought some instant noodles, fruit and milk to last them until they had to take off. They expressed that it is a very unique place. They were shocked that nothing was open and wondered how tourism was going to survive.
When I think back on that experience and that conversation, I think about what a good thing our government is doing. The Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025 recognises that our economy still needs to run despite allowing families and Western Australians to take a break, because those who work on public holidays need to be paid. I know they are called penalty rates, but it is not a penalty because it is someone doing a service for our state. When someone is working on a day they should be with their family and having a rest, they are doing a service for the community and for Western Australia. They need to have that Easter Saturday recognised so that they can be paid accordingly. I commend the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA, the Australian Workers' Union, the United Workers Union and all the unions that stand up for workers who have to and need to work on those public holidays, because they should be paid accordingly for giving up their time.
Coming back to Christmas Island and my childhood there, I very much valued learning to work at a young age, learning the value of community service or business, but at the same time valuing our community and why we had those public holidays. It was not until I was an adult that I thought about why Christmas Island has Chinese New Year and Hari Raya public holidays. It is because the majority of the community there celebrate that occasion. I am very grateful to be living in a country that recognises that cultural importance and heritage. I attribute it to that place where I have grown up and in this country where I have grown up to be empathetic and to recognise and celebrate other people's cultures and why they need to have their holidays. Easter is very important to the history of this country and the mainstream community as well as Christmas. The Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025 recognises the workers who give up their time to work on those days, despite their cultural importance. I commend our government for putting the bill forward and commend the bill to the house.
Mr Dan Bull (Maylands) (3:46 pm): I rise to make some comments on the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. It is great to talk about public holidays and what this bill intends to achieve. We know that public holidays are for many things, such as rest and recovery, creating a work–life balance for workers, and supporting mental and physical health. They also improve productivity when people return to work. This bill has the potential to improve productivity when public holidays become aligned across the country. I will come back to that. Public holidays also allow for time with family. As we know, there is more pressure than ever on our time, and having public holidays allows us to spend more time with our families. They also create opportunities to get away, whether we take a road trip or have a staycation. It can boost the local economy, and I will make some comments on that a little later as well.
Some great community organisations within Western Australia are run by volunteers who work together to put on events during public holidays. Within the Maylands electorate a number of town teams do that. The Baysie Rollers is a well-known Bayswater-based town team that has held street festivals and other events, the kind of events that can be held on public holidays that the locals really enjoy. In Maylands, Creative Maylands is another town team that has run a lot of community events such as the Maylands Neighbourhood Soup, which is an event where people can pitch an idea to deliver to the community, and the people in the audience get to choose which of those ideas they want. The entry fee effectively becomes the grant that goes to that group with the idea that can be delivered for the local community. Inglewood on Beaufort is another well-known town team that organises events that are well suited for public holidays. Many would be aware of the Inglewood Monday Night Markets, which could be held on a Monday public holidays. The Inglewood Arts Hub is another great place to visit within Inglewood that supports the local arts communities. It is definitely a place for people to visit on public holidays, as is an event like the upcoming "Springlewood, Celebrating Inglewood" event, which is not occurring on a public holiday, but could occur on a public holiday. The Springlewood, Celebrating Inglewood event is happening this Saturday, 25 October from 10:00 am in the Inglewood Town Square. It will be a jam-packed day, bringing together some of Inglewood's most loved events and activations from the past decade into one big celebration of community, creativity and connection.
Kicking off with the Aliwah Cultural Enterprise Noongar dancers, the day features an incredible line-up of circus, comedy, Brazilian drumming, magic and roving fairies, filling Inglewood Town Square with colour and energy. Folks will be able to explore the Best of Inglewood competition, with heaps of prizes to win; discover the Repair Cafe and vintage bikes; or take a wander with the self-guided historical walk. Of course, the much-loved dog show returns once again. Proudly sponsored by the City of Stirling and supported by over two dozen local Inglewood businesses, this free community event also includes Auslan interpretation. This is an example of community at its finest, and it is an example of the kind of event that Town Team delivers for people to enjoy, including on public holidays. From a societal perspective, it creates a collective moment to pause as a community. It can foster a sense of belonging and connection, and it can also be used to mark important occasions, including cultural occasions, historical occasions and religious occasions, such as Easter.
I have to say, I have been completely shocked at the way the opposition has responded to looking at designating Easter Saturday as a public holiday. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the opposition is waging war on weekend workers. We saw that last week.
Ms Rita Saffioti: I like that!
Mr Dan Bull: Yes, Deputy Premier, they are waging war on weekend workers.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Maybe to camera!
Mr Dan Bull: They are waging war on weekend workers! I think this is one of the great examples of the Labor team—a united team working together, with the Deputy Premier helping me to develop the line: waging war against weekend workers!
I spent time in the Maylands town centre the other day and just walked by all the cafes, retail shops, travel agents, florists and the many other offerings that they have in that area, asking locals what they thought about the feedback from the Leader of the Opposition that people do not work on Saturdays. It came through, time and again, that the Leader of the Opposition is out of touch. It was quite remarkable. I think I would have spoken to perhaps dozens of people about the fact that they were shocked that the opposition is waging war against weekend workers.
Ms Rita Saffioti: If you'll take an interjection, he said that you spoke to staffers in the shops. It's incredible that you would speak to workers about their situation!
Mr Dan Bull: I actually spent time talking to staff in shops in the Maylands town centre, including people who work on Saturdays, and time and again they said to me that they want to be paid fairly. I spoke to one person who is involved with the Roxy Lane Community Garden in Maylands, who for a very long time worked in retail, and he told me the story about how hard it was for him, when his family went away at Easter, that he had to open up the shop on Saturdays and missed out on being with his family. He said to me, unprompted, that the Leader of the Opposition is out of touch and that he was upset with this waging of war on weekend workers. It happened time and again.
I think Maylands people are pretty switched on, and I think Maylands people care about the fact that workers should be paid fairly. The other thing that Maylands people understand is how important workers are to the success of businesses, how important the sacrifices are that workers make to work on public holidays and the importance of paying them fairly. They make that sacrifice, because they miss out on spending time with their families. I have also experienced that myself. My dad worked on radio, but he worked for the ABC and he was a shift worker. People do not think of this.
Ms Rita Saffioti: I loved listening to him!
Mr Dan Bull: Yes, Ted. One of Ted's skills is that he is good at making sure there is never dead air, so at a dinner party he is excellent company! But he was also a public servant shift worker, and people do not think of it that way. He often worked on Christmas Day, and that would take him away from our family, so it was right that he got paid fairly for that. I know, firsthand, the experience of having family members taken away on public holidays in order to do important work.
I think it is also important to remember that this affects people across a range of sectors. We have spent a lot of time talking about hospitality. Yes, hospitality workers and retail workers are often pulled away from their families on public holidays, but it also affects people who work in health and aged care—doctors, nurses, allied health staff, orderlies, paramedics, aged-care workers, emergency services and public safety workers, such as police, fire, rescue, ambulance and corrective services workers. Public holidays can potentially result in a larger volume of work, as I mentioned, in the hospitality and tourism sectors, such as cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, holiday parks and zoos. There is often a larger volume of work due to the high number of people enjoying their public holidays. We have also talked about people who work in retail and supermarkets, shopping centres, service stations, transport and logistics, and public transport operators, delivery drivers and haulage and truck drivers. They all work on public holidays. Does anybody who needs to have their bin picked up on a Monday when it is a public holiday miss out on their bin being picked up? They do not. There are also local government rangers, waste collectors and public pool workers. We often want to go to our local pool. I know the member for Southern River is very passionate about making sure that a new public pool will be delivered in his neck of the woods.
Ms Rita Saffioti: For $2 million!
Mr Dan Bull: We have to start somewhere, Deputy Premier! I know he is a strong advocate for that because people locally are very passionate about it. People like to go to public pools on public holidays, so people who are working on those days should be paid fairly. That also includes media and entertainment broadcasters, technical operators, musicians, actors and performers, journalists, production crews, event staff and venue operators. There are often events on public holidays and those people should be paid fairly. I think it is completely right for Easter Saturday to be designated a public holiday. I think it is bizarre, at best, that the opposition wants to wage war on weekend workers. I think what we in government are doing is right and fair. People who work on public holidays should be paid fairly.
Another thing I want to mention before I wrap up is the importance of aligning public holidays with those in the rest of the country. This could make a huge difference. When people work in industries or places that rely on the east coast, it can be really disruptive and have a negative impact on productivity. For example, someone might get up in the morning, get on their local Metronet train, go into the CBD and go to their office. They go up to whatever floor and put in their code and log in for the day, only to realise that the east coast is on holiday, so they cannot get anything done if they need people working on the east coast to help them. That is very, very difficult. Equally, if someone is working with the east coast and it is a public holiday here in WA, they get up in the morning having slept in a bit because it is a public holiday, and they have planned something with the family. They might be going out into the bush, or they might be just going to the local cafe in the Maylands town centre. They switch on their phone and it is full of emails from people on the east coast asking them to do a whole heap of things. That is stressful and difficult, and it is difficult for families as well. Lining up public holidays with those on the east coast will be significant for businesses that rely on working with people in other jurisdictions in Australia.
I am really supportive of this bill. I think it is excellent. I think making sure that people are paid fairly is critical. I support very wholeheartedly designating Easter Saturday as a public holiday. I think it is fair, and I think workers should be paid fairly. I encourage the opposition to cease its war on weekend workers. I commend the bill to the house.
Mrs Lisa Munday (Dawesville) (3:59 pm): I rise today to speak in support of the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill and the Cook Labor government's plan to modernise Western Australia's public holiday calendar. When I heard about the two extra public holidays specifically, I thought: yay, more weekend time; more chance to recharge. Even though our job is pretty much seven days a week and public holidays are probably our busiest time, there is that part of me that hears about a public holiday and thinks we are having a win. They hold a much deeper purpose. They are markers of sharing our life together, with time for family. It is how we pause and reflect. I think it is going to be a good opportunity to celebrate ourselves as Western Australians.
The bill is about more than just changing dates. It is about fairness, consistency and ensuring that our public holidays serve the needs of workers, families, communities and businesses across our vast state. Western Australia's holiday schedule has not kept pace with that of the rest of the nation. We really are one of the last states that do not recognise Easter Saturday as a public holiday. That means the thousands of Western Australians working on one of the busiest weekends of the year miss out on penalty rates and protections that their interstate counterparts have enjoyed. This bill will correct that anomaly and recognise that the full Easter weekend—Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday—are public holidays. Personally, I think that is more than fair. The member for Mandurah and I have cafes in our electorates. Mandurah is a destination as a day-trade area. My dad and I go out on a Sunday or some time at the weekend to have a coffee. You can tell the difference between a public holiday, a long weekend and school holidays when I think half of Perth and the eastern states move into our area to take up residence at my favourite table! Dad and I go out a bit earlier then. We get in at 8:00 am, which is probably not quite ready for breakfast time, but at least we get our favourite chair and have a coffee. I notice the pressure on the staff when I look around. These kids, these young people and the chefs out the back are on the run from 7:00 am till 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm—whenever the cafe shuts. Their level of duress on a public holiday is massive. I think the opportunity for them to have the extra rates afforded to them, which come with this business, is a really good thing.
We are also adding a Show Day holiday to be held on the first Monday of the September–October school holidays—the school holidays that run into the Perth Royal Show period. I never really went to the Royal Show. I was from Harvey and I went to the Harvey show, which was way better than any royal show, let me tell you!
Mr Paul Papalia: The Brunswick fair was better!
Mrs Lisa Munday: Oh no, minister. It is definitely the Harvey Agricultural Show. I think the member for Collie–Preston and the Speaker would agree with me as fellow Harvey-ites that the Harvey show was the place to be. Sometimes school would let us out for half a day on Friday to get home and get ready to go on Friday night. It was a Friday night–Saturday extravaganza. Every year, everybody who was anybody would go out. We got new clothes and we would always dress up in a new dress or something cool to wear on show day. My brothers used to get matching T-shirts or matching shirts. My mum loved to dress them up as twins, even though they were five years apart. Luckily, they did not dress me the same. I got to wear a dress. We went to the Harvey show and Friday night and Saturday was a blur of doughnuts, fairy floss, the Tumbler, throwing up, coming back, emptying out, more doughnuts, fairy floss and the Tumbler. Every year, I would never learn my lesson. The meeting place was always at the Rotary wheel in Harvey, where my dad would work on the Rotary wheel. He was always good for another $5, which, back in those days, the 1970s, would be another three hours' worth of experiences. I think kids will absolutely love the opportunity to have a public holiday on that Friday in October for the traditional show.
These dates are going to come in from 2028 onwards. Western Australia will enjoy 13 public holidays from 2028, instead of 11. These key changes include the two new holidays on Easter Saturday and Show Day and shifting three existing holidays. Labour Day will move to the second Monday in March. After campaigning in 2021 and again in 2024, I am happy if they want to shut down the public holiday in those two weeks so that we all get a break. I do not know about everyone else here, but I would not mind the Monday off if it falls in the two weeks so I am not out doing how-to-vote cards. I understand that the Premier feels we need to move it so that we can get our full two weeks' worth of campaigning in. That is fair to him and fair to us.
Western Australia Day will be moved to the second Monday in November and the King's Birthday will be shifted to the second Monday in June. That realignment makes practical sense. It will smooth out the year, reduce midterm gaps and better match national operations for both workers and businesses. Like the member for Maylands said, recently I was on the phone trying to ring Resolution Life or some superannuation place. They said, "Sorry, it's a public holiday over here today." It really is a pain and inconvenient, so I think this is a great idea.
Premier Roger Cook said it best:
These changes are about modernising WA's public holiday calendar in a way that reflects the needs and values of our community.
…
Striking the right balance was essential and I believe this new schedule ensures our economy remains the strongest in the nation, while workers get the break they deserve.
That balance did not come out of thin air. Over 10,000 Western Australians contributed to the consultation process—workers, unions, local governments, small businesses and everyday families. The final design reflects the voices of the many. As a Labor government, fairness for working people is always front of mind. This bill will ensure that WA workers receive the same entitlements as those across the country, while giving families more opportunities to rest, reconnect and participate in life.
Of course, I recognise that not everyone celebrates as loudly as others, because business groups and small-business owners in particular will be affected. I think the member for Kingsley was talking about this. I know it will be tight and really hard for some of them to cope with the changes and the extra costs. Concerns have been raised about the potential cost of additional penalty rates, and those voices really matter. That is why the government has a two-year lead-in period, with the starting date being in 2028, which will give the industry time to adjust, plan and work with government on transitional support. The bill has been carefully designed to accommodate that flexibility.
For the community of Dawesville and Mandurah—because, really, Dawesville and Mandurah are quite intertwined, especially with things like this—it is about fairness and balance and ensuring that people who work hard all year have the chance to rest and celebrate. The member for Mandurah and I live in a region that thrives on visitors and local events. Member for Mandurah, Mandurah was the top tourism town, was it not, two years ago?
Mr Rhys Williams: Australia's top tourism town.
Mrs Lisa Munday: It was Australia's top tourism town twice!
Mr Paul Papalia: Who was the mayor?
Mrs Lisa Munday: At the time, there was a fantastic mayor in place. I would also like to welcome the new mayor, Amber Kearns, to Mandurah. I give a big shout-out to Amber as the new mayor.
Mr Terry Healy interjected.
Mrs Lisa Munday: Absolutely. The world only started when I became the member for Dawesville!
There are things that happen in Mandurah that do not happen anywhere else, like the Mandurah Crab Fest for example. There should be a long weekend for Crab Fest. I think we should make that a thing and we might need to talk to the new mayor about that as we go forward, member for Mandurah. There are surf lifesaving comps, meetings and community fairs. Shifting WA Day to November will give us a chance to celebrate outdoors. I know in June it is usually raining or it is cold. Moving a day like that to November will make maximum impact, which is best for small and large businesses. I think it is a great opportunity for everyone.
I will mention here that, as a paramedic, I often worked through holidays—Christmas, New Year and New Year's Day. St John Ambulance is not owned by the state government. It is a private organisation. It did a rolled-up rate. Whether it was New Year's Day, Christmas Day, 10 November or 5 June, we all got paid the same rate. However, I was talking to the member for Mindarie and another person who is a firey and they get penalties for working on a public holiday. I think it is absolutely amazing that they get paid more to do this job at times when it is usually the most difficult.
People usually drink harder and longer on New Year's Eve and Christmas Day. For an emergency service worker, the jobs, the days and the nights get a lot longer and a lot harder from 1 December pretty much through to the beginning of February. I give a big shout-out to our emergency services workers for doing that during this time. Also, I think it is really important that they get recognised and paid for their time. There is nothing harder than turning up on Christmas Day to a family member who has died. I mean, any day is not great to lose a loved one, but losing someone at a time when festivities have been happening is not a wonderful time at all.
Having said that, I used to work on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Depending on where the Christmas function was and whose family's it was at, sometimes it was like, "Oh, look; I'm really sorry. I'm actually working Christmas Day and I can't be there, but I'll send my kids. You can have them!" It was a great opportunity! I really loved working New Year's Eve because some of the jobs were just hilarious. Alcohol affects people really differently. Sometimes, it may not be a great occasion, but at other times, I would have a 16-year-old in the back of the ambulance who had gone against their parents' wishes and drunk alcohol and was apologising and going, "Oh, my god; my dad is going to kill me. What am I going to do?" Their friends would say, "Oh, don't worry, Esther; it's going to be fine. We won't tell him. We'll just sober up and they won't know." I was thinking: "Oh my God; there's no way Dad's not going to spot that you guys had a few drinks." As ambos running into police and fireys during the festivities of Christmas and over New Year's Eve, there is a lot of comradeship, with a bit of support and a few laughs. I really think that workers in areas like emergency services deserve fair compensation.
Another job I had in my career was as a bank officer, when I actually got to enjoy the public holiday win. However, I also worked for Swan Taxis out of the base room as a supervisor. That was an absolutely fantastic time. I used to do the 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm shift in the base room, and sometimes I would do the 11:00 pm to 7:00 am shift because my husband worked during the day. He would come home and I would go to work because our kids were too young; they were not school age. We would do that. Sometimes I would be on the radio talking to the taxi drivers, which was a great period of my life before I became a paramedic. I am not sure whether I am in the right age group here, but members may remember Y2K when 1999 changed to 2000. I was at Swan Taxis at that time. An opportunity arose when we were going from News Year's Eve in 1999 into 2000. A lot of people wanted to enjoy the new year, so they were really trying hard to find people to go on the phones. I was a supervisor and everyone was out. They were like, "Lisa, will you supervise the base room on New Year's Eve?" As it turned out, I did. They paid every one of us because they expected there to be a computer glitch; that is, they expected everything to go crashing down from 1999 to 2000 with the Y2K bug. We were paid something like—I may stand to be corrected—three times the normal rate or $150 an hour to do the New Year shift from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. It was unbelievable, so of course I said yes. It all just clicked over to 2000, the world went on and the place did not explode. It was actually quite a fun time, and it was a great night as well.
When we talk about extra holidays, we are talking about acknowledging the people who hold this state together. I think the member for Maylands listed them all quite nicely—retail and hospitality workers, taxidriver, nurses, police and paramedics. They do not just stop working because of the calendar; the calendar does not make any difference.
This reform is not about sentiment; it is about smart policy. By aligning WA's holidays with those in the rest of the country, we will make it easier for national businesses to operate consistently. That will improve efficiency and reduce administrative headaches. This bill shows the Cook Labor government's commitment to listening, consulting and getting the balance right. As this reform rolls out, I will continue engaging with my community, our local business owners, workers and community groups to help ensure that the changes deliver the intended benefit and that any unintended consequences be addressed as we go forward. It is about fairness but also follow-through.
In closing, in the years to come, I would like to see the families in my community gathering for Western Australia Day, having barbecues in better weather and enjoying the opportunity to be outdoors. Maybe Mandurah could win the best tourism town in Australia award again because we have a lot to offer, from estuaries to beaches; we have everything there. I look forward to that opportunity and for workers who have to work on those public holidays to feel that their effort and contributions are being valued in a more practical way.
I commend this bill to the house.
Mrs Magenta Marshall (Rockingham) (4:15 pm): I am really proud to rise and support the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025 before us, although it will be hard to follow the member for Dawesville, who, as a former paramedic, has a lot more lived experience and has a better understanding of what it takes to work on the front line on public holidays. I put on the record as the local member that one of my goals is for Rockingham to take the mantle of best tourism town in Australia; that is a KPI I have set for myself.
Mrs Lisa Munday interjected.
Mrs Magenta Marshall: Yes, that too!
As I said, I am really proud to be supporting this bill because I believe this legislation is fair, sensible and modern. It will deliver benefits for Western Australian workers, families and businesses. These are not arbitrary changes before us and they were not rushed. They are the result of extensive community consultation. As part of that process, there were more than 10,000 submissions from workers, small businesses, community groups and families across the state. Through these submissions, people told us that they wanted a public holiday calendar that makes sense—one that reflects modern life and provides a fair go for everyone. That is exactly what the government will deliver with this bill. The resulting bill is balanced, respectful and forward looking. As part of this bill, from 2028, Western Australia will have two new public holidays—Easter Saturday and Show Day. There will also be realignment of Labour Day, Western Australia Day and the King's Birthday to better match the national calendar and support productivity and celebration.
Starting these changes in 2028 means businesses will have two years to prepare. It also means workers will have certainty about their entitlements. This debate so far has highlighted how good governments operate and why members opposite are not up to it. We have demonstrated that we are not about chasing headlines or punching down, but listening, balancing needs and delivering practical solutions. Once again, the opposition has shown that it is completely out of touch with the people of this state. Unlike them, I stand with our workers. Members opposite claim to back small business, yet they ignore the reality that public holidays bring additional customers through the door and that to deliver these services on these days, workers are giving up their time off with their families.
We heard in contributions to the debate from the other side that public holidays are nice to have but not essential. I say, tell that to the workers who keep WA going, the train drivers connecting people to their celebrations, the nurses at Rockingham General Hospital, the hospitality and retail workers serving our coffee, the tourism operators showing people around our great state and the truck drivers transporting our essential goods. The penalty rates they receive on public holidays can be the difference between getting by and getting ahead. It is a reflection of the sacrifice of their time with loved ones.
As part of this debate, members opposite have tried to shame members on this side for our union links. I say good luck to them! I am not, and never will be, ashamed to be a proud union member. I have been one my whole working life. My parents are also proud union members, and they understand that without unions, workers' rights will continue to be under attack, penalty rates would be under attack and workers would be forced to do more for less. Ironically, that is what one of the public holidays this bill is realigning celebrates: Labour Day. This day is about celebrating unions and the wins that workers have received through the relentless generational efforts of the union movement. Paying workers their penalty rates is not a burden; it is a sign of respect. It says to these workers that their time has value and that their sacrifice is recognised. A well-rested and fairly paid workforce is a productive one. We know that staff morale and safety is improved when workers are treated with respect by their employers, which is why we as a government are standing up as leaders in this space and introducing the reforms that are good for workers and for the economy.
Similarly, public holidays are not a luxury. They are a right that have been fought for and protected by unions like the Transport Workers' Union WA to ensure workers are paid fairly for the time away from their families. We saw during the COVID-19 pandemic that without transport workers, WA comes to a stop. In fact, the whole country comes to a stop. Day in and day out, transport workers give up time to rest or spend with their loved ones to drive through the night and long weekends to make sure goods can reach our shops and our hospitals when needed. The Transport Workers' Union has long campaigned for fairness for its workers, whether on the roads or in our skies, and I put on the record my thanks to it, in particular to Western Australian state secretary, Tim Dawson. Tim is relentless in standing up and advocating for his members to deliver better outcomes for workers across the transport industry.
Another union that I want to take the time to acknowledge is the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA (SDA). Under the leadership of WA state secretary, Ben Harris, it has strongly advocated for fairer pay and rights for its workers, including Easter Sunday recognition, which we delivered in 2022, and now Easter Saturday. My first union was the SDA for the three short weeks that I worked at McDonald's. My husband was a long-term member when working shifts at Coles while completing his teaching degree. As I said, it has long fought for better rights for its workers and I am proud to be backing it and the hospitality and retail workers in Rockingham with this legislation.
Our Rockingham community is built on hard work, and these changes will mean a lot. From nurses, firefighters, police officers and paramedics on the front line, transport workers who keep our economy moving, to the hospitality staff working on our beautiful foreshore, these are the people who earn every bit of their time off. Long weekends are not wasted in Rockingham. On public holidays and long weekends families like mine get out and support our local businesses, from fish and chips on the beach to catch-ups over a drink at one of our amazing local watering holes—I give a special shout-out to the Swinging Pig Bar in Rockingham, which is a great one—or a day trip Point Peron or Penguin Island. These are some of the local highlights that can be done on public holidays. Going to these places results in more bookings at local venues, more money spent in our local economy and more shifts for workers.
As I mentioned earlier, this bill will introduce Easter Saturday as a public holiday. Recognising Easter Saturday as a public holiday means these workers will finally receive the penalty rates they deserve for giving up their time. In Rockingham, Easter weekend coincides with the celebration of the Catalpa Adventure Festival. I am not sure whether all members are aware of the Catalpa escape. It was the most successful prison break in Australian history, which we now remember as a symbol of human resistance. The Fenians, also known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood, were a secret society of rebels that formed in 1858. They were dedicated to delivering Ireland's independence through an armed uprising against British rule. During the uprising, thousands of Fenians were arrested and imprisoned, and in 1867, 62 Irish political prisoners were shipped to WA where Fremantle Prison became their new home. In the following years, many of the Fenians in Fremantle were released following the completion of their sentences, or they were pardoned for their alleged offences following international outcry. However, a small group of ex–British Army Fenians remained in prison with no hope of early release. But they were not forgotten by their comrades who had found shelter in the United States of America. On Easter Monday in 1876, the Catalpa escape took place. It was an international rescue effort that took years to organise and freed six Irish political prisoners from Fremantle Prison. They then fled to Rockingham where they swam out to sea and boarded the Catalpa ship. The Catalpa Memorial in Rockingham commemorates the escape with a large statue of six wild geese, referring to the name given to Irish soldiers who served in European armies after being exiled from Ireland.
Every Easter weekend, the Rockingham foreshore comes alive with Irish music, dance and celebration in commemoration and to reflect the contribution of the Irish to WA's culture, economy and society. Next year, 2026, will mark 150 years since the Catalpa escape and, again, there will be a large celebration on the Rockingham foreshore. I encourage you all to come along and enjoy what our community and our coastline has to offer. I bring the Catalpa to this debate as I have seen the large influx of visitors to Rockingham as a result of this important event. It is important that the workers sacrificing their long weekend to make sure that others can enjoy theirs are fairly remunerated with the penalty rates they deserve. That is what Easter Saturday public holiday recognition will rectify.
Also in this bill we will seek to move Western Australia Day from a cold winter's day to spring in recognition of what we all love most about our beautiful state. In 2018, I attended the WA Day State of the Art festival (SOTA) in the city with mates from the southern suburbs like Rockingham, Baldivis and Atwell. I remember how miserable the weather was that day. It was raining all day—just like yesterday in fact—yet we still made that trip to celebrate our great state and the incredible music produced by Western Australians. ShockOne and San Cisco were playing that day, as well as that year's Triple J Unearthed High winner Arno Faraji from Shenton College.
Mr Daniel Pastorelli: Quality line-up.
Mrs Magenta Marshall: Yes, it was a good one.
As I said, the weather was gross but the vibes were high. In recent years the weather has been so bad on WA Day that the festival has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled. Just imagine the celebrations West Aussies could have if we moved WA Day to the spring month of November when rainfall is minimal and temperatures are in the mid-20s. In 2028, I am looking forward to celebrating WA Day on 13 November, and maybe this time we can enjoy the sounds of Spacey Jane or Pendulum, maybe, or even local Rockingham youth musician Kav Fullerton.
Turning back to Rockingham briefly, we are a community that knows what it means to work hard and to look out for one another. Our community is built on industrial workers, transport workers, educators and carers. We are proud of our working-class roots and we are proud of the unions that have fought to lift living standards for all in our community.
Another part of this bill is aligning our public holidays with the rest of the country. Aligning these public holidays with the rest of Australia means fewer disruptions for businesses and clearer planning for those with national partners. It also allows for more opportunities for trade, transport and tourism to work in sync, resulting in less confusion and fewer missed opportunities.
I also want to talk briefly about the introduction of Show Day. This new day, Show Day, celebrated in September, will be a wonderful new opportunity to celebrate our community spirit. Every extra day that a family can spend together is worth celebrating, and when that day also supports local businesses and jobs while keeping our economy strong, it is a win-win.
As I come to a close, I want to reiterate my support for this bill. The bill is about modernising Western Australia by bringing our state into alignment with the rest of the country. It is about giving people more time to rest and recharge with their families or to celebrate what it means to be Western Australian. It also fixes a shameful wrong that has really bugged me personally, which is that workers in the eastern states have more public holidays than our hardworking West Aussies. We should never let the eastern states have more than us. Members opposite have tried to argue that fairness costs too much, but on this side of the chamber we know that fairness is the foundation of prosperity. We are proud to stand with workers and their families and with unions. We know that when working people do well, Western Australia does well. I commend the bill to the house.
Mr Frank Paolino (Mount Lawley) (4:26 pm): I also rise today to give a contribution in support of the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. I would just like the house to indulge me on a little bit of a reflection I had about my own upbringing while listening to contributions in this place. As most of you will know, I grew up in Brisbane. My father, who was an electrician when I was growing up, then worked for Ansett Australia. A lot of people who know me well would know that my dad worked extremely hard. He worked holidays. There were no weekends and there was no day off on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Easter Sunday, Good Friday, Anzac Day, Father's Day or any other day. My dad worked tirelessly day and night. In fact, I remember for most of my childhood that my dad would leave two days before Christmas to go to work for an eight-hour shift and would not be back until 27 December. There was a reason my dad was doing that, and that was because he had a young family. My dad was 22 years old when I was born and 23 when my brother was born. My dad worked extremely hard, like all parents do, to give me every opportunity—opportunities that he never had, notwithstanding that his parents came to Australia to seek better lives and futures for their children and to fulfil their own dreams and aspirations. They were dreams and aspirations that I am sure that Australia filled to some extent. We had great opportunities because of my father's great work ethic and, of course, his contribution to the family. But why was he doing this? It was because of penalty rates. We needed the extra money. He had three young children. I often reflect on that time. I was not a great athlete. I was not good at sports, but I tried my best. How many times did my dad miss a soccer game? How many times did he miss my performance in a music competition, such as the vocal competition at the conservatorium? As a kid, my dad was not there for other appointments I had because he was out trying to earn a living for us.
I just wanted to offer that reflection in some way as a bit of a tribute to my dad who did so much. Understanding my dad's commitment to his family and what he did for us led me to understand a little bit more about the labour movement and unionism and how the role of unions has made a difference in the Australian industrial landscape. They have made a difference for families, mums, dads, grandparents, single mothers, single fathers, carers and university students and for people who work across different sectors such as hospitality, transport, entertainment and nursing—I could go on. I just want to pay tribute to them as well and say thank you. I say thank you to the nurses, airport workers, workers in hospitality and the entertainment industry, and workers across all sectors who work on weekends——Saturdays and Sundays—and public holidays. I want say thank you for what you do for us and for your families.
With that in mind, I found it just really bizarre that despite our opposition colleagues supporting this bill, their approach to and discussions around it centred on some of the most vulnerable low-paid workers in this state. Of course they could say, "We're right; it is relevant to this state." But it is a discussion that opens up. If that is what they think about workers in this state, it is what they think about workers all over the country. I was very surprised by that.
We heard commentary about the union movement and how it played a role in this piece of legislation. I applaud the union movement for what it does for its workers and for its members particularly. Until we have no negligence on worksites, workers paid fairly and no exploitation in the workplace, there will always be—I have said this before—a role for the union movement in this country. I want to also thank them for what they do each and every day for their members and for their contribution to our state and to the nation.
In this realm, I welcome this reform to public holidays. I particularly welcome the reform for Easter Saturday. Western Australia is wonderful, vibrant and exciting. We claim that we want people to come and visit Western Australia. We want Western Australians to visit other areas of Western Australia. We want people to walk on that dream. The dream is that we are a state that is open for trading.
I found the views of members on the other side very contradictory. They say that on the weekends, regional towns are open and bustling and thriving—and we want that and I hope that it is the case—but if we suddenly have a public holiday, and an extra-long weekend, no-one is going to go anywhere and it will cease. It is quite an astonishing assertion, I must say. Quite a number of astonishing assertions were made during the debate last week and this week, and I was taken aback quite a bit. Of course, there was some discussion about the cost this amendment will have on local businesses. Small and medium businesses, all businesses in Western Australia, do a fantastic job. I want to recognise every single small and medium-business operator in this state who makes a contribution to not only their own homes but also the homes of Western Australians right across the state. They work extremely hard.
The assertion from the other side of the house that people on this side do not know anything about business is fascinating. They say most of us have worked for the public sector or come through the party movement and have just picked up a pay cheque but never had to work hard for it. We just had to rock up to work. Is that right, member for Nedlands? That was the member's assertion last week. The member for Nedlands scoffed at the member for Mindarie earlier when he said he was an ambassador for Royal Life Saving WA. If that is what the member thinks about Western Australians who actually believe in a cause, I have no words to describe how he treats others.
I just want to say that I have worked very hard for what I have. I have worked very hard since going into the workforce. My journey started at Woolworths when I was 14 years old. Like the member for Rockingham, I was a member of the of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA. It was the first union I ever joined. It was a great experience. I was a checkout operator. I was the slowest checkout operator in the nation because I used to talk to everybody as they went through. It was especially because the Italians used to go there a lot and I used to talk to all of them! But it was very fulfilling.
Mr Terry Healy: Those were repeat customers.
Mr Frank Paolino: And they were repeat customers.
Mr Terry Healy: It wasn't about quantity; it was about quality.
Mr Frank Paolino: Absolutely. It was quality. I mean, you did not want to just throw their items at them as they were walking out the door; you wanted to give them a service.
My work life commenced at 14 years and nine months. After Woolworths, I went entertaining. I tried to earn a couple of dollars down at the down at the local shops, eateries and restaurants, and at birthday parties. I was doing that from 14 years and nine months onwards. It went on from there. The assertion is that we do not know what it is like to run businesses and we just—
Mr Jonathan Huston interjected.
Mr Frank Paolino: Well, if it is so good, member for Nedlands, why are you not still doing it?
Mr Jonathan Huston: Service to my country.
Mr Frank Paolino: Why are you not still doing it? The shadow minister for plumbing works over there has commentary on what we have done in our lives and our achievements. Let me tell the member for Nedlands: we have all achieved great things. We have worked very hard for our families and we will continue to do that. I am sure that it is very clear how I feel about the member's attacks on our most vulnerable low-paid workers in Western Australia, who do a good job and provide a good service to our people.
I return to the bill. From my understanding, it is very common for people to use public holidays to get out and spend more time with their families, and I hope that that is the case. I hope mums and dads take the opportunity to spend time with their families. This bill will provide them with the opportunity to do that. It will provide them an opportunity to visit our great state. Our great state has a lot to offer. My electorate of Mount Lawley is a wonderful destination for people who like the arts and history. Not long ago we hosted a number of organisations that did walking tours through the electorate, including the Mount Lawley Society. I salute the Mount Lawley Society for its achievement in getting plaques that highlight the history of Beaufort Street.
The Art Deco Society of Western Australia did a wonderful presentation through the streets of Mount Lawley and I must say that it was very interesting. I went along with its members, and I acknowledge their contribution. In the Mount Lawley electorate, people can go to the movies and watch shows. The Astor Theatre is a wonderful place to watch a show. It provides a vibe and culture that is the heart and soul of Beaufort Street. All the businesses along Beaufort Street that stretch all the way from the Perth electorate through to the Maylands electorate provide colour and vibrancy, and a destination for entertainment and cuisine. I can assure members that the place is bustling on public holidays. There are also other places to visit in the electorate. There is Forrest Park, which welcomes many families who visit for picnics, particularly when the weather is good, sunny and hot. It is home to the Perth Azzurri Soccer Club, the juniors' club, which is fantastic, and we see many parents down there playing soccer on the weekends and, of course, on school holidays and other public holidays.
With that said, whether people live in Esperance, Busselton, here in Perth, up in the Kimberley or right around this state, Western Australia has a destination for them. This opportunity to amend public holidays brings us in line with other parts of the nation that I have had to work with in the roles that I have had the good fortune of being in. Let me assure members that dealing with Victoria on a public holiday when it has not got one—
Mr Rhys Williams: Or dealing with Victoria any time.
Mr Frank Paolino: My friend and colleague from Mandurah has nailed it.
Dealing with the daylight saving time difference with the eastern states is hard enough, but dealing with the eastern states for trade and commerce and industry when public holidays are not aligned makes it even more challenging.
I want to note a little aside. Our good friend, my colleague the member for Central Wheatbelt, last week made a number of assertions about leadership, which I found very interesting, against my colleague, the member for Landsdale. I wish to quote my colleague from Midland. When he said it, we looked at each other and he said to me, "He nailed it. He nailed it." We obviously understood that the other side not only does not understand the political landscape and what is going on here, but also it does not understand the industrial relations framework in Western Australia and the nation. To make it very clear, I support Roger Cook and the Cook Labor government's amendment to this bill, and I commend it to the house.
Mr Rhys Williams (Mandurah) (4:46 pm): It is lovely to stand and make an address on this bill. I will speak strongly in favour of it. One of the great privileges of representing the electorate I represent—Mandurah—is that not only do people who live in Mandurah love the place, but Western Australians at large also love the place. It is never more telling than on a public holiday when, as the member for Dawesville said, sometimes much to the disappointment of local people, the city swells. It has been doing that for decades. One of the great conversations I love having with people when they know that I represent the seat of Mandurah is about their reflections back in time, back to their own childhoods, perhaps in the 1950s and 1960s, when they would come down to the city on long weekends—not a city then, a small town—to enjoy hanging out in the sand dunes in Madora Bay or Silver Sands or in the adjoining seat of Dawesville's areas of Falcon and Wannanup. They would come down and go crabbing and fishing and enjoy this beautiful place that has so much to offer. Today it is the number one daytrip destination in Western Australia, the place that more people go to on single days and on long weekends than anywhere else in the state.
There is a real sense of pride in the local electorate when people come into the city and enjoy what we have to offer. When they started coming 50 years ago, they enjoyed the estuary or perhaps the beaches, some good surf or great fishing areas or crabbing. These days they come down and enjoy all those things, plus they enjoy great bars, great restaurants, great breweries and a real vibrant and dynamic tourism scene. Perhaps they do a dolphin cruise and join some of the 85 resident dolphins that live in the inlet, who all have a name.
Mr Paul Papalia: Do you know them all by name?
Mr Rhys Williams: I know them all by name and am fairly familiar with them all!
People come down, as they always have, and as I said earlier, to enjoy crabbing. As people know, for 27 years we have been celebrating the crabbing heritage in Mandurah through the Mandurah Crab Fest. I want to take a minute to acknowledge my colleague the member for Landsdale who undertook the consultation. He clearly did not pay attention to my submission to ask for a Crab Fest Day for Western Australia, but I will keep working on the member for Landsdale to include Crab Fest Day as part of this public holiday framework.
Mr Daniel Pastorelli: Yes, why not—a spin-off event.
Mr Rhys Williams: Yes, thank you. That would be wonderful. That would be really good. As I said, these days, people coming to Mandurah can enjoy a packed calendar of events. They might come down for the Crab Fest or for the Christmas lights or join the thousands of Western Australians who come down over the school holidays and enjoy that area.
The reason that I reflect on this is because Mandurah people love sharing their city with visitors over long weekends and on public holidays. They love welcoming them. Our businesses do a roaring trade. In a seasonal town with an economy built primarily on hospitality and tourism, it can be hard over those winter months, so those public holidays that exist at the end and beginning of the tourism seasons are fundamental to businesses. I was able to get out over the last few weeks and months when this consultation was underway and have some really good conversations with business owners. One of the things I have noticed is that, unlike some of the debate in this place over the last week, it is not a binary conversation. Businesses understand that they rely on workers to deliver great customer service and to engage with their customers, and if they want the best workers they can get, they know that they need to be paid. But another thing that cafe and restaurant owners are saying to me is, "If all you were doing was changing the configuration of the public holidays and adding a greater burden to our businesses, that would concern us." But do members know what else we are seeing? We are seeing record investment in tourism. We are seeing new opportunities to promote Western Australia to the world. We are seeing places like Mandurah that rely on tourism being invested in, with projects like the Giants of Mandurah. I hope members have all had the opportunity to come down and enjoy our Giants. I can tell members that prior to the Giants coming to Mandurah, the visitor centre on a good year would have 50,000 people coming through. That is a pretty decent number for a visitor centre. During COVID, that number dipped to 30,000 a year. In November 2022, when we launched the Giants, 50,000 people came through that visitor centre in the first month! The numbers coming through the visitor centre now are 150,000 people per year.
The Cook Labor government, along with the local government, invested in these products to bring new people into a city that is reliant on tourism. Business owners are telling me that that has changed the face of their businesses. It has brought new revenue like they could not have imagined, so it is a shame that members opposite, in particular, have treated this as a binary conversation. We can grow the pie in Western Australia by supporting businesses to do better trade and by ensuring that those who work in those businesses to provide that great service get the pay that they deserve, which incentivises them to go to work. It is not a binary conversation, and it should not be.
It has been a reasonable debate, and I hope people have been able to hear, particularly about hospitality and tourism industries, that they can and will benefit from this measure because Western Australians and the people who visit our state love public holidays. They will see better trade, and they will pay those great workers who turn up and work what they deserve.
As I said, I live in an electorate that relies on hospitality and tourism, but it is also an electorate that relies on health and aged-care workers. It is the oldest demographic of any electorate in the state; the member for Dawesville and I share that. I often reflect on the people who work in aged-care and disability services and who instead of going away with their families or going away with their mates to enjoy long weekends down south on public holidays, choose to stay home and work. What incentivises them to do that? Are they doing that out of the goodness of their heart? Sure, they choose to work in these industries, so they are inherently people who want to give. People who work in those sectors want to serve, but that cannot be all, because they are missing out on times when other Western Australians are out enjoying themselves. How great is it that now, with an additional public holiday on Easter Saturday, those people will be able to not only stick around and work on those days, but also actually receive the remuneration that they deserve? That is a fantastic outcome. I did not hear a lot of commentary on that from those opposite, but I genuinely cannot believe that anyone in this place, on either side, could say that the people who work in those critical industries—not going away and enjoying time with their families and friends but staying home and working in those critical industries—do not deserve to be paid a little bit more.
At the heart of it, that is what this legislation is about. It is about creating more opportunities for Western Australians to enjoy our wonderful state. Yes, it is also about alignment with the east coast, which I think makes sense, and I do not hear much objection to that. But I think it is also about making sure that people who work in sectors that deserve to be paid a bit more get access to that right. It is old politics—this idea that you are either on the side of business or on the side of workers. I talked about the 1950s in Mandurah; honestly, it was a little bit like the 1950s in this place listening to the opposition talk about, "Well, we're on the side of business and you're on the side of workers. We'll stand up for business and you'll just defer to the unions." On this side of the house, the conversation is far more sophisticated. We talk every single day about building the strongest economy in the nation. We talk every single day about that. Look around: the state is doing well and the people who live in it are doing well. But we also talk about ensuring that everybody has a bite of that opportunity, so that we stand in, hopefully, the strongest economy in the nation, and by doing things like aligning public holidays and creating opportunities for people to be paid as they should, we also provide better opportunities for more people—people like those in the electorate of Mandurah. Just like in the electorate of Rockingham, as was reflected on earlier, these are people who understand the importance of working hard. But do members know what? In a lot of cases, with the lowest median income in Western Australia, there are also people who live pay to pay. They do not have the luxury of having a fortnightly salary and not having to think about how they are going to make ends meet at the end of every fortnight. Plenty of people in my electorate are living pay to pay, so I am really proud to stand in this place and support legislation for those people in my electorate, and in electorates like mine, who struggle to make ends meet. Hopefully this will give them a little bit more of an opportunity, and I think that is what we on this side of the house are all about.
I could not have summed it up better than my colleague who said the opposition is waging war on weekend workers; that is what we have seen today. I just hope that members opposite have had time to reflect. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that it is not true that nobody works on Easter Saturday and that everybody goes away. Let us spare a moment for disability support workers, aged-care workers and people creating opportunities for our local businesses by providing great customer service and great support. Those people in the electorate of Mandurah, like the rest of the state, deserve our thanks. I want you to know that while those opposite might be turning their back on you and suggesting to the world that you do not matter, we on this side of the house are making sure that you get what you deserve. I think that is something that we can be proud of. I commend the bill to the house.
Ms Divina D'Anna (Kimberley—Parliamentary Secretary) (4:56 pm): I rise today to speak in support of the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025, and I do so with genuine enthusiasm for what these reforms will deliver for Western Australians. I particularly speak for the people I represent in the Kimberley.
Our current public holiday system has served Western Australia well over the years, but like a good pair of work boots, it is starting to show its age. The time has come for an upgrade, and this bill delivers exactly that. Public holidays give Western Australians a break from work and school and help to promote a healthy work–life balance—which, I will admit, as would probably most members in here, is not always a great strength of mine, as my husband would no doubt confirm! But let me be clear: public holidays are important. It is a time for us to connect with our families, a time for us to travel, a time for us to chill, and a time for us to go camping and to enjoy sport or cultural events.
For us in the Kimberley, public holidays are not just days off work; they are opportunities for families to reconnect, for communities to come together and for culture to be shared and celebrated. In my very large electorate and in the rest of the regions, where people often travel long distances for work or schooling, these moments of rest and reconnection are precious. When I say schooling, it is also another opportunity for those who have gone away to school to come back and keep that connection. An extra public holiday means a chance for parents to spend a day with their children on country. It means families being able to attend local events, visit their elders and participate in other community activities. They participate in community and cultural activities that strengthen our identity and sense of belonging. We know that wellbeing is about more than just economics; it is about people having the time and space to look after themselves, to look after their families, and to look after and contribute to their community. For many Aboriginal people across the Kimberley, that means having the opportunity to return home, the opportunity to return to country, and to recharge, spiritually and culturally. When family, work or study take people far from home, a few extra days off means a chance to do exactly that—travel back to country, visit loved ones and take part in the community and cultural activities that keep us strong and connected. I repeat that because that is an important aspect in the place I come from. These moments are especially important in the Kimberley, and these reforms recognise that.
These significant changes will affect every Western Australian. From 1 January 2028, our public holiday calendar will be transformed. The government will add two new public holidays—Easter Saturday and Show Day. Labour Day will be moved to the second Monday in March, aligning with the case in four other states. The King's Birthday will shift to the second Monday in June, bringing us into line with all other jurisdictions except Queensland. This will be particularly good for me as my wedding anniversary is always on the public holiday in June and I am forced to do things that I do not want to do! Now we will have a chance to rotate a bit. Shifting the King's Birthday to the second Monday in June will bring us into line with all other states except Queensland. WA Day will be moved from its current spot in June to the second Monday in November. The reason for these alignments and reforms is to better align WA's public holiday calendar with those of the other states. The King's Birthday holiday will be in June, again aligning Western Australia with most other states. This alignment will help with conducting business, travel and planning holidays. It will also help businesses to manage payroll or banking across multiple states and contribute to a shared sense of identity and unity with the rest of the nation.
I have spoken to some business owners in Broome, Kununurra and Derby. They told me that having different public holiday dates sometimes creates genuine complications. Payroll is more complex, banking transfers are delayed and suppliers in other states are closed when we are open or we are closed when they are open. It is a small thing individually, but these things add up. For businesses already dealing with the vast distance that comes with operating in regional and remote Western Australia, any kind of simplification is welcome. Moving the King's Birthday public holiday to June also makes sense. It will coincide with the announcement of the national King's Birthday Honours, when we celebrate the achievements of Australians from all around the country—I know that a few have come from my patch, which we are quite proud of—and acknowledges the strong preference that came through in a public consultation for retaining a winter break. More than 10,000 Western Australians participated in that consultation and their voices have been heard. People have been asked.
The addition of Easter Saturday as a public holiday is long overdue. We are one of the last states in Australia to recognise Easter Saturday as a public holiday. In fact, we are the last mainland state in Australia to recognise this day as a public holiday. Residents of every other state are entitled to this day as a public holiday, but our state's residents are not. It is frankly embarrassing that WA has been the odd one out. I have heard a lot about workers in the debate on the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. Our workers have been missing out on the penalty rates that their counterparts in other states receive. I am in full support of bringing our state into line with other states in recognising this day. What some of these small businesses pay their workers is money that goes into the pockets of Western Australian workers and that money will be spent in our local economies—in our shops, cafes and businesses.
Many states already recognise localised show days as public holidays. These changes will see Show Day during the September–October school holidays, in line with the situation in other states. What I particularly appreciate about this provision is the flexibility it will maintain for regional areas. The Perth Royal Show is the state's largest annual community event, and it deserves recognition. Regional councils will continue to have the ability to apply to the Governor to celebrate the day at a time that suits their community and climate. This is important because the Kimberley does not do things the same way as Perth. For example, in the member for Pilbara's patch, holding Karratha's FeNaCING Festival in August beats the northern heat. We have our own rhythms, seasons and community events that bring people together. This bill respects that diversity and that is something for which I commend the government.
The government will move WA Day from June to November when it is warmer—a nicer time of the year. It is quite cold right now for me, and this is when I need to put on my Kimberley hat and make a point that needs to be made in this chamber. Although it is warmer down here, the nice weather in the Kimberley is in June. Let me paint members a picture. In June in the Kimberley, we have the clear blue skies, comfortable temperatures and low humidity that everybody wants to flock up there for. It is the time of year when people can be outside without melting. It is when tourists flock to our region to experience it at its best. I personally say it is better salmon fishing weather, but for those who like to throw a line in the water—the minister is not here—just know that June is the prime time. There is less likelihood of a thunderstorm out on the bay when you are in a boat. It is the only time of year we can go camping without wanting to install a portable air conditioner in our swag. We go camping in the heat, too. By November, we are heading into the build-up. The humidity is definitely on the rise, and the temperatures are definitely climbing. The stingers arrive in the water, so swimming at the beach becomes a calculated risk.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Can't do it!
Ms Divina D'Anna: I take it every time! I teach my children how to read the water and the beaches. For those watching on at home, I encourage them to not take that advice from me. They are not exactly ideal conditions for large outdoor events in in the north, but we have them anyway.
Having said all that, I see the sense in moving WA Day to a warmer time of the year for the benefit of the majority of the state. The public consultations that took place on these reforms absolutely supported moving the WA Day public holiday. It is what the people want, and we have listened. For me, bringing my children and grandchildren to Perth for Show Day, the last thing I want to be doing is pulling them along in wet, cold weather. For Perth and the southern areas of our state, which also represent the majority of WA's population, June is one of the coldest and wettest months of the year; that is when you all come to my patch, and I invite you all. Moving WA Day to November will give people the opportunity to celebrate outdoors, have barbecues, go to the beach and enjoy the day in a way that is difficult to do in a Perth winter. Here is the thing about representing a regional electorate. We understand that sometimes decisions need to be made for the benefit of the majority, even if they are not ideal for us. That is part of living in a big, diverse state. Although we might not be able to go camping comfortably in the Kimberley in November, we can still absolutely celebrate WA Day. We can still go to the beach, even if we are watching out for stingers rather than swimming. Even if the salmon are not biting, there are always other outdoor activities to do, such as hunting for jalangardi in Roebuck Plains. People in the regions adapt; we always do.
I want to talk about what WA Day actually represents, because this matters enormously. WA Day is inclusive of everyone who calls WA home. It is traditionally a day for all Western Australians to come together in the spirit of community and celebrate what we love about our state. As the member for Churchlands mentioned, it was originally known as Foundation Day and was in June to commemorate the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829. It was a holiday to mark the arrival of Europeans and the founding of the colony. It was renamed with bipartisan support in 2012 to Western Australia Day to be more inclusive. This charge was led by then Premier Colin Barnett to recognise Aboriginal people as the original custodians of this land. That recognition matters enormously in the Kimberley, where Aboriginal culture is not something in the past but is a living, breathing part of our daily lives. WA Day now reflects the rich multicultural fabric of our communities and the shared values that unite us. It recognises all who call WA home and the traditional custodians who have been here for tens of thousands of years, the early settlers, the waves of migration that have enriched our state and everyone who has made Western Australia their home. Broome is a good example of this multiculturalism. Moving this day to a time when more people can celebrate together and have large outdoor events that showcase our diversity and our culture is a fitting way to honour what the day represents. I am fully supportive of WA Day being moved to November and I know a lot of people in the Kimberley are as well.
Another benefit of these reforms is spreading the public holidays more evenly across the year. Right now, we have a bit of a cluster of holidays at certain times, while other parts of the year can feel like they are dragging on. A better spread will mean people can look forward to regular breaks, helping them reduce stress and prevent burnout. This bill will spread public holidays throughout the year more evenly. It will give WA those breaks. It will give people those long weekends. It will give them those opportunities to step away from the daily grind. In the Kimberley where many of our workers are doing physically demanding jobs in challenging conditions, working in the resources sector, agriculture, tourism and hospitality, those breaks matter. They matter for physical health, mental health, family relationships and community connection.
For the tourism and hospitality industries, especially in the Kimberley, a well-distributed calendar will help maintain consistent demand across the year, something that is vital for businesses that rely on seasonal work and travel. These extra public holidays and long weekends will also give a boost to tourism, particularly in regional areas like the Kimberley.
(Member's time extended.)
Ms Divina D'Anna: Long weekends encourage people to take short getaways to local destinations, increasing travel activity and spending in the local tourism economy. For us in the Kimberley, that could mean more visitors exploring incredible places like Cygnet Bay, Eco Beach Resort, Lake Argyll, the Bungle Bungles or staying in our beautiful towns like Broome, Derby, or Kununurra. I do not personally own or run a business, but my auntie does. She runs a very small boutique accommodation business on the peninsula, which is beautiful. When you go there, you get to experience what it is like to be alone and see the magic red pindan against the sunsets. You see whales. She loves it that way. But you know what she loves more? She loves it when there is a long weekend because she rings up the family and says, "Are you coming out?" As an independent worker, she would gladly not take bookings for her accommodation, which is her livelihood, for her family to come out and spend that time with her out at Goombaragin.
Our tourism operators, cultural guides and small-business owners all benefit when visitors have time to travel. Many Kimberley businesses rely on seasonal tourism and these extended breaks will help keep demand consistent throughout the year. It is also a win for local people. More time off means more chances for Kimberley families to explore their own backyard, camping, fishing or spending time appreciating our beautiful country. That is what makes life up our way so special. These extra public holidays on the calendar will provide people with more meaningful opportunities to spend time with their families. I keep repeating that because I think that is essential. There will be more days to spend time outside enjoying the lifestyle and activities we all enjoy in Western Australia. We live in this beautiful state for a reason. Now we will have more days to enjoy it.
I want to briefly address the economic impacts of these reforms because they are worth considering honestly. The additional public holiday wage costs are real and I do not want to minimise that, but we need to look at the full picture. Public holidays often lead to more foot traffic to certain businesses, a point that has not been highlighted, I think, by the other side. Cafes and restaurants usually see more customers during public holidays. That is why they often make the decision to keep open on these days rather than not. The decision is always there for small businesses to balance the pros and cons of operating on public holidays and many of them choose to open as they understand there is often an increase in customers. Because people have that day off, they are free to have breakfast or lunch, whether it is outside in the heat or inside in the air conditioning, or have a few drinks, or eat out at a local business as a family.
I would like to take a moment to do a shout-out to Auntie Meg and Uncle Graham who have been running a small convenience store for many years, the second generation to do so. I had a quick chat to them before coming back to Perth and I asked them about the Easter Saturday stuff. They realise that there will be more charges for staff, but they choose to stay open because their shop is situated in a place where a lot of people do not have cars to go to town to shop. They choose to stay open not just for profit, but to serve the community as well.
Penalty rates for staff are a consideration; that is why many businesses that are providing a service such as hospitality will often charge their customers a surcharge on public holidays. I spoke to a constituent who is aware of a business—I do not think I am allowed to name them—that charges a surcharge but she said she was happy to go there on her day off and have a coffee. People are aware. I am sure this business practice will continue on the two new public holidays in our state. Like I mentioned, increased wages from penalty rates flow back into our economy. Workers with more money in their pockets spend it in our shops, our restaurants and at our service businesses. That creates economic activity, which creates jobs, which strengthens our communities.
The commencement date of 1 January 2028 is also appropriate. These are significant changes and businesses, organisations, employees and the broader community need this time to prepare. Two years notice is reasonable. It will allow businesses to adjust their planning, rosters and budgets. The changes will also improve business continuity for organisations with interstate dealings. They will reduce banking delays. These might sound like small administrative matters, but for businesses operating on tight margins, any reduction in complexity and compliance costs is significant.
I have heard the opposition complain that moving WA Day to November puts it right in the middle of school exams. This shows a complete lack of understanding of families, teachers and students. This bill specifies that WA Day will be on the second Monday in November. School exams vary from year to year, but typically senior exams run through late October and November. Yes, there may be some overlap, but do members know what else happens during exam periods? Life goes on. Students still have weekends. They still have other public holidays. In fact, a Monday public holiday during a stressful exam period might be exactly what some students need—a chance to catch their breath, to consolidate their study, and to rest and recharge before the next exam.
Those opposite also pivoted to their favourite talking point, which is that while Labor tinkers with calendars, the real issues are being ignored—health, housing and jobs. These are apparently being neglected while we focus on this bill. But this is nonsense and the opposition knows it. Can this government not walk and chew gum at the same time? Can we not reform public holidays and invest in health and build housing and create jobs? The suggestion that passing this bill somehow prevents the government from addressing these issues is absurd. This Parliament deals with multiple pieces of legislation and we address multiple priorities. But let us be clear: public holidays are about health, they are about housing and they are about jobs. They are about the health and wellbeing of workers, who need rest and recovery. They are about giving families time together in their homes, thereby protecting decent working conditions and fair wages, which are fundamental to people being able to afford housing and build secure lives.
I have five minutes, so let me skim through all this. So much research that went into this speech is going to waste!
The opposition says this bill is bad for regional WA. Well, I am regional WA and I am supporting this bill. I have been upfront about the challenges. In the Kimberley the weather in November is not ideal for WA Day, but I have also explained why, on balance, this package of reforms delivers benefits for the whole state, including regional areas. The opposition position seems to be that we should do nothing—keep the status quo. Let WA workers continue to miss out on the penalty rates that workers in other states receive, let businesses continue to deal with the complications of having different public holiday dates to every other state, and let WA Day continue to be celebrated in the cold, wet Perth winters when outdoor celebrations are extremely difficult. That is not a vision; that is not leadership. That is just saying no for the sake of saying no.
These public holiday reforms deliver real benefits for the whole state. From our cities to our most remote communities, we are striking the right balance between supporting business and recognising the importance of family, culture and rest. This bill honours the hard work of Western Australians from teachers to health workers to tourism operators to small business owners to station workers, who keep our regional economy strong. They deserve that extra day to rest, that extra day to recharge and that extra day to reconnect.
For the Kimberley, these reforms are a small but meaningful recognition of our way of life, where connection, community and culture matter just as much as productivity and profit. These reforms are about what we value as Western Australians. We value fairness, and that is what making Easter Saturday a public holiday delivers. We value family and community, and that is what spreading public holidays throughout the year supports. We value our unique culture and identity, and that is what celebrating WA Day in a way that allows for large outdoor celebrations with other diverse communities recognises. We value practical common sense, and that is what aligning with other states provides.
We have listened to Western Australians throughout the consultation process. More than 10,000 people participated and created a fit-for-purpose public holiday calendar that is fair, consistent and reflective of what we value the most—time with family, time outdoors and time to recharge.
So I stand in strong support of this legislation because it is about fairness, balance and respect for the rhythm of life that makes our regions, and especially the Kimberley, so special. I commend this bill to the house and the opportunity it brings to celebrate our state, our communities and the incredible places we call home, especially the Kimberley.
Ms Kim Giddens (Bateman—Parliamentary Secretary) (5:25 pm): I am really excited to stand today in support of this Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025, for a number of reasons. One, because I come from a family of business owners and so it will be great to talk about the bill from that perspective; two, because I am a worker and I have a family of workers—we are all engaged at some point with either being an employee or employing others; and three, because my electorate of Bateman is such a strong business community. We are so strongly made up of many, many small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our community and I would like to recognise some of them.
Before I do, I would like to thank the member for Kimberley for her contribution to this debate. Some in this place might know that I spent some time living in the Kimberley, so I always love listening to her for the passion with which she talks about her community, the perspective she brings directly from regional communities and her ability to speak on behalf of her community and to stand up for what is needed and what is right for her region. I always learn something from being in the chamber when she is talking. It is a great place, is it not? We know that; we can agree.
This bill is about alignment and certainty. I will go through in a little detail about what it proposes. It adds two new holidays. I have to say, when it comes to public holidays, Western Australia has been stooged. We lead the nation in so many ways. We are the strongest economy in our nation. We definitely have the best government in the nation. We have so many strengths, but when it comes to public holidays, we have at least two fewer than our some of our interstate counterparts. I think it is time to bring that into line. Of course, this bill not just about adding two additional public holidays; it is also about aligning the ones we already have. Who has not picked up the phone to make a call from Western Australia to a business over east to be met with that message that they are out on a public holiday—and of course, vice versa? Given Western Australia's critical role in our national economy, the more alignment we have between our businesses and the eastern states, the better for our economy, the better for our businesses and the better for our workers.
I want to recognise that Bateman is an electorate built on small businesses. These are professionals from hardworking families, and these reforms speak to their reality, either running their businesses or as workers in those businesses. Acting Speaker (Mrs Lorna Clarke), I know when you were a member of the other place—not to draw you into the debate in this chamber when you are in the chair—that you and I hosted together three women in business events, something that I like to do when I can around International Women's Day, and you could attest, Acting Speaker, to the diversity in those rooms. The calibre of people running small businesses in my community of Bateman knows no end. We are talking about mining companies, construction companies, real estate companies, and tech and innovation. We are talking about people developing battery hydrofoils and drones for Australia's defence industries—cutting-edge technologies and cutting-edge businesses. Let us not forget the hospitality businesses in Bateman as well, which I think are the best in WA. Across my electorate I have a choice. I can choose between Cheeky Boy Espresso or Cioccolato Espresso, and I can go to Canteen Pizza. I can go a little further down the road to Nic and Kolo. That is before I even venture outside Applecross and go to other parts of my electorate. I know I do not have the newest office in this place, I do not have the shiniest office, but those members who have visited me in my office in Applecross absolutely love it for its location because it is right in the hub of Applecross Village. That hub brings community. There is vibrancy, there are people enjoying themselves and there are people out enjoying great hospitality and all those great things that WA has to offer.
I would like to give a quick shout-out to some of the fantastic businesses directly near my office in Applecross and also further across the electorate. I refer to businesses such as Crumbs Patisserie. Some members might know Crumbs from visiting me in my electorate. Crumbs now has a stand, having grown from its first business. Crumbs is a brilliant patisserie. All of its products are made on site. When I say that all of it is made on site, I mean that the pastry with meringue in it is made on site, and if it has lemon curd, the lemon curd is made on site. Even the marshmallows in the hot chocolate are made—you guessed it—on site. Julia is a young, vibrant businesswoman who is driving the business. She is exceptional and it is always a joy to drop by, although I try not to do it too often, for obvious health reasons! But I do recommend it. Bakehouse on Cranford is another bakehouse that has been recently welcomed into the Winthrop community. I am seen there quite regularly, usually at about 8.05 in the morning with kids in tow, running in quickly to grab something for the lunch boxes because, yes, I am disorganised. The bakehouse provides fantastic food for the lunch boxes. I have mentioned Canteen Pizza, which is fairly new. Although I think it has been there for a few years now, it still feels fairly new. There are also the Pilates studios, health professionals, doctors, chiropractors, dentists, optometrists and all the other services in our community that are largely run as small businesses.
I mentioned that I come from a family of business owners. I recognise and get the sweat, the blood and often literally the house that goes on the line when someone goes into a small business. They often work 24/7 and carry the worry and the planning of the business, and the demands are high. People do it because they have a passion for what they are providing to the community, whatever type of business it is. They do it because they have a dream and a vision, but it is risky. I would like to acknowledge that risk and the important contributions that small businesses make to our local economy in Bateman, WA and Australia.
I have some Google facts. About 97% of all businesses in Western Australia are small businesses. Anyone can fact check me, but that is a significant number of small businesses in this state. They are run by mums and dads and sole operators and traders out there who are doing the hard work that I talked about. Nationally, those small businesses contribute about one-third of Australia's entire GDP. That is equivalent to about $590 billion. Those figures are from 2023–24. We are talking about a significant contribution to our economy and a significant number of people employed in those businesses. It is estimated that more than five million people are employed in small businesses across Australia. Every one of those people who is employed in a small business has the opportunity to support their family and realise their own dreams and the vision they have for their lives. That is a really important impact.
When we introduce bills such as this, it is important to consider the impact they will have on businesses and our economy. I absolutely acknowledge that. I firmly believe that, on the whole, these amendments will bring great economic benefits. We are talking about benefits such as those that the member for Kimberley mentioned. We know that long weekends provide a significant injection into hospitality and tourism businesses in particular, because people go out and spend time with their family. It is also an economic boost for retail shop workers and other service providers who get to benefit from the boost of the public holiday pay. Some of those workers tend to be casual and are therefore more vulnerable. That boost to their wages puts money in their pockets to support their cost of living and, importantly, to inject it back into the economy in their local communities. It is a circular system. When everyone does well, business does well.
I would also like to acknowledge the importance of public holidays and the benefits they provide for workers. We in this place do not get public holiday pay—that is absolutely not a complaint—but I think most of us would have worked in places where that has been important to us. One of my first jobs when I was a full-time university student was working part time at Sunglass Hut, which was a casual retail job. I got a boost to my wage on public holidays that helped me try to balance all my costs. That was essential to me as a student. I am talking about a long time ago when I was a student! I know that the cost-of-living pressures are now greater than ever for our young people in particular, and public holiday pay benefits our workers who are casualised, marginal and perhaps who are younger and newer workers balancing other responsibilities or are part-time carers. All those workers will benefit from this boost in pay and the acknowledgement that when they work on a Saturday of the Easter long weekend, for example, they are giving up their ability to go away for that entire weekend. I think it is only fair and reasonable to acknowledge that through their pay and conditions.
We do not live in America, which is a country that we often refer to. Those of us who have visited have seen how important the tip economy is in America because it acts as a supplement to wages. America has taken away responsibility for businesses to provide a good wage for their workers, and has put it on those who use the services by way of tips. We can see how vulnerable that makes the workers and how it negatively impacts the economy. I do not think anyone in this place would suggest for a moment that that is the kind of industrial system we would want in this country or in this state. We acknowledge that there is a role for penalty rates and that they play an important function. I do not think that is in question. We are not talking about an excessive number of holidays, either. This will simply bring Western Australia into line with most other jurisdictions in Australia.
With that in mind, when I talked about the importance of this bill for workers, I mentioned some of the economic benefits. Much of what we talk about in this place relates to the economy, which is as it should be, because a strong economy underpins jobs growth and the lifestyle that we have come to enjoy, and we want that to continue. We want people to be engaged and involved in a strong economy, and that is exactly what we have in WA. That is what we are focused on continuing to deliver and to grow for Western Australia. However, economies are just a construct. Real-life humans underpin that in a real-life world, and so we have to build that real-life world in a way that is fair and equitable, and enables everyone to have a win. It is not a win–loss scenario; it is a win–win situation. That is what all of us in this place should be striving for.
Apart from the economic benefits of this bill, we have seen real human benefits. Often people give up their time to work during the special holiday times such as Christmas, Boxing Day and Easter, and they are able to benefit from the additional pay. Others are able to take time off during those public holiday periods to rest, recover and spend time with their family. The member for Kimberley talked about how important it was to her aunt to shut down her business on long weekends to enable the family to come together. In a world in which we are stressed, busy and rushed, the ability to stop and visit somewhere in Western Australia where we can turn off our computer and be out of mobile range just to be with our families or in nature to recover and recharge is a significant benefit to our wellbeing and to the state, and I do not think that should be overlooked.
I have talked about businesses. I have acknowledged that our small businesses, in particular, are significant contributors to our economy. I have recognised the risks they take on and I recognise that we should be thinking about how what we do in this place impacts on them. I have talked about workers and how important it is for them, whether it is their first job while they are putting themselves through uni or whether they are semi-retired; it gives them the ability to work in a workplace where their contribution is acknowledged appropriately through appropriate pay conditions.
I also want to acknowledge the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA. The SDA represents retail workers and fast-food workers—very often casualised part-time workers. It has played a really important role in shaping the pay conditions of those workers. We are talking about changes that we have implemented in this place already to strengthen protections against assaults on retail workers. We are talking about improving safety, but we are also talking about the basics of pay and conditions. We saw it during COVID, and I go back to the example of when our truck drivers stopped. When everyone else was at home, there were people in the shops in particular, whether it was Woolies, Coles, or the local IGA, who turned out because those jobs cannot be done from anywhere else. They took that on. Their roles are valuable and I would like to acknowledge not only their roles, but also the role of the SDA in representing those workers and bringing that kind of awareness to our broader community about how important that is.
I will bring my comments on this bill to a conclusion. I had some comments about the opposition, but others have mentioned them, so I am going to leave it and not go into too much detail about that. But I guess I would say this: we see a few things as trends across our political system—to be fair, it is not just in Western Australia—one of which is to say no to everything. I think the public is increasingly tired of that. People want an opposition that, yes, holds the government to account and stands up when there is misalignment or when it thinks it could strengthen things; but what we are increasingly seeing, I think, and it is true for Western Australia as well, is an opposition that just thinks that it is its job to say no to everything before it is thought through, regardless of whether it has considered the real benefit.
I encourage opposition members to continue their important role in this place and their important role in the community. I acknowledge that, but I really encourage them also to think about when it is important to stand on something different and when it is important to say, "Actually, this is a good idea, because it benefits our economy, benefits workers, benefits households and benefits families."
(Member's time extended.)
Ms Kim Giddens: The second thing is that when members stand in this place, I think it is important that what they say here is said elsewhere as well—be consistent with your messages. It is a little bit unclear and a little bit sad in many respects to see what was a small "l" Liberal Party really become confused and inconsistent in how it stands up and what it speaks for. I imagine some members of the Liberal Party find that frustrating themselves. We see increasingly that the opposition, and particularly the Liberals, have moved far away from that small "l" liberalism and are increasingly subject to interests within their own party that I do not think represent that party when it was first founded. I encourage those opposite to really think about that and how they bring that consistency into this chamber. With that said, I am excited for this bill and I stand in support. I commend the bill to the house.
Mr David Scaife (Cockburn—Parliamentary Secretary) (5:43 pm): Acting Speaker, where to start? There has been so much material over the last week of debate on the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. The opposition really is the gift that keeps on giving. Members will be shocked that unlike the member for Bateman, I will go into the opposition's contributions, because I think other members have done a great job. The cabinet secretary has done a great job of outlining the clear and obvious benefits of this bill, but there is so much material to deal with from the opposition. I was going to say members opposite are very good at opposition. I will not say that. I will say they are well suited for opposition, but I would not necessarily say they are good at opposition. To go to the member for Bateman's point, there was a bit of "Hear; hear!" and a bit of cheering from the member for Churchlands as the member for Bateman was talking about the need for accountability. It is true that the opposition plays an important role constitutionally in our democracy. But, really, what the member for Bateman was saying, member for Churchlands, was: "Must do better." Just three words: must do better. That was what she was calling on the opposition to do. She was not suggesting that the opposition is doing those things in holding the government to account or taking a mainstream position. She was making the point that the opposition does not do those things. It is not a credible opposition.
I will point out that I think the member for Mid-West is quite an impressive parliamentarian. I watched him in budget estimates and I thought he looked every bit like a bloke who could slip back into the role of opposition leader if the opportunity presented itself. I say to the member for Murray–Wellington that if I were you at the moment, I would say, "Ask not what you can do for the National Party, but what the National Party can do for you." We would not even have to move your seat. You could stay where you are, and all we would have to do is shift everyone around you on either side. We would have someone who has done the role before in the member for Mid-West.
Mr David Bolt: That's your best line yet.
Mr David Scaife: I take that interjection from the member for Murray–Wellington: my best line yet. Seriously, the member for Mid-West has done the role of opposition leader before. He is a man of conviction as well. We have seen that. He does not have convictions that I agree with on issues like firearms reform, but he comes in here and strongarms the Liberal Party into voting to gut our firearms legislation. That was clearly part of the deal for the alliance or whatever it is they are in. The Liberal Party had to wander in here merrily and do the dirty work of the Nationals WA. Good on the member for Mid-West, because his job as the Leader of the Nationals WA is to extract the best he can from his bargain with the Liberal Party. Clearly, the member for Churchlands saw an opportunity. He will do just about anything it takes to take power, accrete more power and actually get more attention. That is more the commodity I think he lives by. I give credit to the member for Mid-West. I reckon he is the man of conviction we need on issues like the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025.
I will talk to that later, but first I will mention the member for Nedlands, who was very critical of members on this side. We had not run businesses, so what would we know? I know it will shock the member for Nedlands, but I founded and directed a business for five years before I came to this place. I ran a business. I founded a law firm with a colleague. Yes, I had the typical beginning of a Labor lawyer. I did my junior years at Slater and Gordon and then, in 2016, my colleague and I hatched a plan and we put in our resignations on the same day. It took our superiors a couple of weeks to put two and two together. We went out and we started a law firm on Beaufort Street. We started Eureka Lawyers and I was a founder and director of that practice. It was just the two of us sitting in an office that we were leasing through the business. We hired two legal assistants to start with—a receptionist and a legal assistant. We worked over five years to build up that law practice. I was the one in the office who had to process the pay. I was the person in the office who did the hiring and firing. I have sacked people from the business that I was running. I had to sack people who I had hired. I had to say to myself that I was responsible for that because I had made the hiring decision in the first place and so I had clearly got that decision wrong. It had not worked out and so I was someone who had to terminate people from their employment. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.
I know what it is like for a business to be cashflow negative. I have been the one seeing that there is not enough money in the account to pay wages and superannuation or pay tax through the business activity statement, and I have drawn down from the loan. I will not be lectured by the member's side because the Liberal Party believes that it is some unreconstructed representative, and the sole representative, of businesspeople. It is just nonsense. It is a fallacy. The member for Nedlands might not know this side of me, but that is because I have not built my whole identity around it. I have not built my whole reason to be in this place around running that business and being a director of it, but the member for Nedlands has. He is so subtle about it that he constantly bludgeons everyone about his experience in business, talking down to everyone as if nobody else would know what it is like. I accept that on this bill I did not employ people on Easter Saturday. I ran a law practice. I did not have workers working on that day. It is just utterly ridiculous to suggest that people on this side of the chamber who come from diverse backgrounds have no appreciation, sympathy or care for people in business. It is just not true.
I want to start with a quote from Hon Yvonne Henderson, because I was going through Hansard and I found this from 1984. She said:
I have been surprised this afternoon by the very simplistic view of the world that has been presented by the Opposition in this debate. I do not know whether I have been listening to the gospel according to John Stone, or the gospel according to Ayn Rand, but in either event it is so removed from the real world that it is representative of the views of people who, by their views, have isolated themselves from the mainstream of thinking in Australia today.
Hon Yvonne Henderson said that 41 years ago and it is still true today. It is a disease that afflicts the Liberal Party and members like the member for Nedlands when the Liberal Party is in opposition—it removes itself so far from the mainstream. I am curious: How old was the member for Nedlands when he read Atlas Shrugged? I am taking interjections. When did the member for Nedlands first read Ayn Rand?
Mr Jonathan Huston: I'm doing my work.
Mr David Scaife: His microphone has just flashed on there. There is an opportunity there. No? I think he must have read it quite young. I do not know whether he got the picture book version of Atlas Shrugged when he was about five or six, and he has been living with it ever since, bludgeoning people with the burden of freedom as his catchphrase. I have described the member for Nedlands before in this place as "Old man yells at cloud", but I now prefer "Ayn Rand yells at cloud" because that is what he is. He comes in here and talks in a language that is totally removed from the normal. He referred to some really strange stuff in this debate. I want to find it. He said:
Then members got the phone call from Beaufort Street and went down there to the Politburo, it gave them the instructions that this was to occur, they walked into the Labor Party room and told everyone "I've got bad news for you, guys. We're going to have to go into Parliament and declare Easter Saturday as a public holiday."
The Politburo—it is hard to make this stuff up! Then, in this debate, he described the Easter Saturday public holiday in this bill in the following terms:
… a political bribe dressed up as compassion—a sop to union bosses and not a plan for working families.
This is a member who thinks that a public holiday like Easter Saturday, and paying nurses, police officers, retail workers and hospitality workers is a political bribe. I would say to the nurses, orderlies, hospitality workers and retail workers that their right to a public holiday and penalty rates on Easter Saturday is under attack and opposed by Jonathan Huston, the member for Nedlands. That did not even get an interjection—I am doing well here. I can see there is a new strategy. I enjoy it because I am actually going to get to the issue of discipline. The best part is that not even the member for Carine took a point of order on me when I got my bit with the member for Nedlands' name to camera. It is handy to know that I can roam a bit more freely with the members under their new strategy, so now I will test that out. This is a member who believes that penalty rates on a public holiday are a political bribe. He talks about politburos and the like as though we are in the Soviet Union. When listening to the language that he uses, I was thinking that it is this sort of Ayn Rand-inspired language. Do members know that saying that Donald Trump should be taken seriously but not literally? I think the member for Nedlands is someone who should be taken literally but not seriously on this stuff. He says a bunch of things that I think he truly believes, but that cannot actually be taken seriously in the slightest bit. I want to go to this because after using all those terms I referred to before—calling Easter Saturday a political bribe—he then referred to Labor voters as the enemy.
Mr Liam Staltari: That's not what he said.
Mr David Scaife: Okay, that is good. I have the attention of the member for Carine! That is not what he said—all right. Well, let us go and dig it out. He said:
Let us move on to another example in Girrawheen, an electorate I also go to every week or almost, members might be pleased to know. Let us say there was electrical work—
There were some interjections. He goes on to say:
Yes, I do. The members would be very surprised.
…
I go there because, being an ex-intelligence officer, the first thing you learn is to know your enemy. I always spend my time doing a bit of doorknocking in Labor areas.
He did not say, member for Carine, that the enemy was the local Labor member of Parliament. He said that he goes doorknocking to voters in Labor areas because you need to know your enemy. It is in Hansard, member for Carine, but I am pleased to take the interjection. He has broken with the party room strategy there and given me the rope that I needed on that one. I appreciate it.
I understand that the member for Nedlands goes doorknocking in Labor areas because he is ex-intelligence. It is funny; I agree, because I have also described the member for Nedlands in our caucus as being ex-intelligence. I think that is quite an apt description of the member for Nedlands. It absolutely is in this debate because he has not shown the political intelligence to read the room at all. He went so far as declaring to the chamber in his contribution that because he is ex-intelligence, he goes doorknocking in enemy territory, which is Labor territory. Newsflash for the opposition: it needs to win back some Labor voters, by the way! It needs to win some voters back in Labor-held seats. It is not rocket science. It needs to win back some seats that the Labor Party currently holds. Telling people who voted Labor that they are the enemy is not the member for Nedlands' best strategy. After declaring to the chamber that he considers Labor voters to be the enemy and goes doorknocking in Girrawheen and Landsdale, he then posted proof of it on his social media. I love this. If members of the opposition are not paying attention, they should now because this is weird and wonderful. The member for Butler did an absolute number on the member for Nedlands last week about how out of touch he was with people in the suburbs, retail workers and even the people who run those businesses themselves. Do members know what the member for Nedlands did to prove that the member for Butler was so successful in getting under his skin? He went doorknocking in her electorate over the weekend and then posted about it on social media.
Let us set aside that it is a little bit sinister for a member who has no business being in another member's electorate to just be there, doorknocking, and seemingly throwing the member for Butler's name out there to see whether people have heard of her, and kind of harassing her constituents. Let us set aside whether that is an appropriate look for the member for Nedlands. He then posts about it, glorifying the fact that he has been there. This is a member with a 2.7% margin, and he is spending his weekends doorknocking in Butler because he has a grievance against the member for Butler because she did such a great job in this chamber during the second reading debate on the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill. That is very strange. I ask the Leader of the Opposition rhetorically whether he wants a team that is so ill-disciplined that he has a shadow minister off harassing voters in an electorate miles away from his own, all because the member for Nedlands was successfully provoked by the member for Butler. That is very strange behaviour.
I have an offer for the member for Nedlands. I want to know: Can we book him? Can we book the member for Nedlands for doorknocking in our electorates? I would absolutely book the member for Nedlands to doorknock for the Liberal Party in my electorate. I reckon he would be a great asset for the Labor Party, based on the sort of nonsense he spouts in this place.
(Member's time extended.)
Mr David Scaife: There is the offer. The member for Butler put the offer out there to the member for Nedlands in her speech the other day, and he dutifully took it up and went up to Butler and started doorknocking. There was not actually any proof that he did any doorknocking in the reel, but he went up there. That is my offer. I would love to have the member for Nedlands doorknock for the Liberal Party in my electorate, and I am sure I speak for a lot of other members who would book him in as well. He could become quite the fundraiser for the Liberal Party if he were to offer his services to doorknock our electorates. I would say, though—taking my tongue out of my cheek—that for a first-term member who has not even been in the job for a year and who won his seat, a seat like Nedlands, on 2.7%, I reckon the member for Nedlands should do some doorknocking in his own electorate. That is the approach taken by the Labor members of this chamber. We are disciplined about it. It is not a secret; we are disciplined about making sure that we are in touch with our electorates. I reckon that if the member for Nedlands did more actual engagement with voters, he might not come in here with the wild Ayn Rand–inspired ideological nonsense that he normally contributes to debate.
I want to move on to the contribution by the member for Churchlands—fairly briefly; it really only deserves that. Other members have gone through his contribution. Of course, the Leader of the Opposition famously denied that people work on Easter Saturday. He said as follows:
I hear murmurings from the other side saying "So you do not support it?" That is right. It is the Saturday when everybody has the day off anyway and everybody goes on holidays, but no, the government says, "It's very important that we bring through this change."
He thinks the government is wrong to bring this bill in because he thinks that everybody has Easter Saturday off anyway; not only do they have Easter Saturday off and do not work on it, but also they all go away. I assume he thinks they all go away to their holiday homes or something like that. The bit that I find so strange about these statements is that, by and large, the Leader of the Opposition reads his speeches in this place, so there cannot be any argument that it was just a slip of the tongue. It cannot be argued that he just got caught up in debate and was ad-libbing. I accept that in this place it is hard when members are speaking off the cuff, but the Leader of the Opposition reads his speeches. It is no surprise that this is a Leader of the Opposition who loves an autocue, so that comment must have been premeditated. It must have been written down, and if it was not written down, then the Leader of the Opposition should correct me on it. He should interject—I welcome an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition—as to whether or not he had written down "It is the Saturday when everybody has the day off anyway and everybody goes on holidays". This is the Leader of the Opposition's chance to correct the record.
There is no correction forthcoming from the Leader of the Opposition, so that contribution was just completely out of touch—the statement that people do not work on Easter Saturday. Quite clearly, retail workers, hospitality workers, nurses and police officers all work on Easter Saturday, and we are thankful that they work on Easter Saturday. I again say to nurses, police officers, retail workers and hospitality workers: your right to an Easter Saturday public holiday and penalty rates is opposed by Basil Zempilas, the Leader of the Opposition. It is such a shame to be in this chamber, in this Parliament, and see that kind of behaviour being displayed.
I want to go to another point that the Leader of the Opposition made—his point about moving WA Day. I said at the outset that the member for Mid-West is a politician of conviction, and there is no doubt that the member for Mid-West is a politician of conviction; I never criticise him for that. But I do not think the same can be said of the Leader of the Opposition, and I just want to give an example of that. Members will remember that when the government announced these changes last month, in September, the Leader of the Opposition was vocal in his position that moving WA Day would be a betrayal of the history of Western Australia. I know that not all members will get their news from The West Australian, and I respect that. I respect that some members will choose to get their news from other sources, but for those of us who read The West Australian I think it is very important to look at this description by Jessica Page in her opinion piece of 16 September, because this is how she described the Leader of the Opposition's statements in the media on the movement of WA Day. She wrote:
Yet Basil Zempilas provided the opening, when he raised the moment the first woman settler cut down a tree to mark the foundation of the Swan River Colony.
He was accusing the Government of forsaking "history and tradition" in its quest to better align WA's public holiday calendar with the spring sunshine by moving WA Day from June to November …
It is unmistakably clear that the Leader of the Opposition's position was that he was accusing the government of forsaking history and tradition. There could not be any stronger words of conviction in opposing this outrageous bill that the Cook Labor government introduced. I want to contrast that with what the member for Churchlands said on that issue in his contribution to the second reading debate. This is the man who thinks we are forsaking history and tradition. He went out, guns blazing, into the media, but this was really all he had to say on it in his second reading contribution. I quote from Hansard:
Some will argue—I understand this—that the change of date based on recreational factors runs the risk of arbitrarily shifting this important day and diminishing its significance to Western Australians.
This is the sort of doublespeak that the Leader of the Opposition brings to the chamber on this issue. Previously he said that it was an affront to the history of Western Australia, but then he said, "Some will argue"—not himself, obviously, despite having said that precise thing a month earlier. Then he said, "I understand this"—so he now understands it, but he does not actually stand behind that position; he just understands it—"that the change of date based on recreational factors runs the risk of arbitrarily shifting this important day". That was it. For an issue that he went out to grab headlines on, all the Leader of the Opposition could muster on this issue was a sort of vague nod of the head to the sort of people in his party who get outraged about these sorts of cultural issues.
I say this seriously to the opposition: it is a direct contrast with the member for Mid-West. It is a problem because it has happened before in this place. It happened in budget estimates and state development budget estimates. The Leader of the National Party as the shadow Minister for Regional Development asked the serious questions about state development and the Leader of the Opposition, unless it was written down in front of him, did not really know what to talk about.
This is a serious issue. I used to raise this issue. I am sort of sad that the former member for Cannington is not here. I will say, though, that the current member for Cannington is an upgrade. Take that, Bill! One thing I am sad to miss about Bill Johnston is he just had this way of pulverising people by giving them advice. I want to do the same thing now. I am saying these things because I think they are legitimate criticisms of the opposition, but I am also saying them because we want them to be better at their job. I am concluding with what the member for Bateman said. We want the opposition to be better. Good oppositions make good governments. It is an important part of our constitutional liberal democracy that we have an opposition that is up to the task. But it repeatedly shows on a diverse range of matters, from the State Development Bill right through to public holidays, that its members are not up to the task. I really urge them to go away and do their homework. Do not come out of the block straightaway about moving Foundation Day and then have to do an embarrassing climbdown a month later. Do not come out and talk about the politburo and how Labor voters are the enemy; just try to be reasonable and approach those voters, who are decent, working people who want to make a living and who want good schools, housing, jobs and hospitals, from that perspective. It will make the opposition better and it will make us better as a government. If the opposition took that approach, it would be on board with this public holidays bill, which is a sensible reform and one that I am only too happy to commend to the house.
Ms Cassie Rowe (Belmont—Parliamentary Secretary) (6:12 pm): I rise to make a brief contribution this evening on the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. I would like to put on the record that I wholeheartedly support the bill, principally because it obviously specifies the two additional public holidays, and who does not want extra public holidays? Obviously, as other members have said, as members of Parliament, we do not necessarily get to always enjoy much time off. But I actually want to spend my time today, if I can, speaking on behalf of people who sometimes have to work on public holidays because of the penalty rates that it affords those workers.
It is estimated that around 2.6 million Australians work under an award. The majority of those workers are women. They are often younger workers and, as has already been stated, are in highly casualised industries and lower paying sectors. They are particularly vulnerable to cost-of-living pressures. To be able to work on a public holiday, on weekends or during what has traditionally been called "unsocial" or irregular hours—night shift and the like—they should be duly compensated for that sacrifice. As we have all noted, holidays, particularly Easter, are times to spend with friends and family. If we hope that people will work in retail, health or accommodation services to keep our state running, as part of that sacrifice, they should be remunerated accordingly. It should not actually be seen as a luxury or indeed a bonus. In fact, a few months ago the federal government introduced a bill to strengthen penalty rates for lower paid workers. It is not a luxury. It is something that we should absolutely support. That is why I wanted to contribute to this evening's debate. Like so many members in this place, I have a lot of locals in my electorate of Belmont who work in these industries and rely on the penalty rates paid for working a night shift or on a weekend. They could be working at McDonald's, at any of the retail outlets in Belmont Forum or at any of the cafes or those types of businesses. As many members have said, I started out my working life in a similar situation. When I first had the opportunity to work, I was a terrible checkout chick at my local IGA. A little bit like the member for Mount Lawley, and this will be no shock, I talked too much, not only to my colleagues, but to everyone who walked through the door. It was a great way as a high school student to save up. Then, as a university student, I worked in retail and hospitality to support myself through university.
Those penalty rates were absolutely my bread and butter. I would not have been able to get by without those wages. I absolutely want to get on the record that I support them, but most importantly I wanted to highlight the fact that these conditions that we all enjoy and somewhat probably take for granted in the Australian context have been hard fought for by the union movement over many years. I wanted to highlight some of those. It is worth noting when unfortunately, on the other side, we often see unions and the union movement as a whole demonised by our conservative counterparts. It really surprises me because when we think about things like penalty rates, they should just be a given. I would not expect people to work late nights, on holidays or at Christmas, like the Acting Speaker (Mrs Lisa Munday)—you had to work and miss out on many family occasions such as New Year's Eve, Christmas and the like—without being compensated accordingly for that sacrifice.
If I can, I want to briefly highlight some of the things that we enjoy in our day-to-day working lives that were hard fought for by the union movement. When I say they were hard fought for, it they took multiple generations to achieve, often hand-in-glove of course with Labor governments. There is annual leave, for example. I suspect if we asked people in the street or in the community, they would think that was something we introduced years ago that both sides of the political spectrum agreed on, but that certainly was not the case if we look back in history. It is something that goes right back to 1856. The stonemasons in Melbourne actually campaigned for an eight-hour day. It was a basic, simple principle: that working people had a right to life beyond the workplace and to rest and recreation. Of course, conservatives around Australia resisted this change. There were dedicated campaigns right back in 1856. They have consistently campaigned for reasonable hours and the right to leave.
I will not go through all the history, but ultimately it was not until 1941 that the union advocacy over that enormous period led to just one week of annual leave being implemented. That was the new standard. We can see just how long it took to finally get to the point where we now enjoy paid annual leave as part and parcel of our working lives. A minimum wage was again something that unions fought for way back in 1908. At the time, the shearers were covered by the Australian Workers' Union, the union that I am a very proud member of. Brad Gandy, the secretary of that union, works really hard representing his members. The pastoral workers award was the first industrial award established. Like I said, it was to protect working people, which is what union members do every single day of their lives. The awards were simply that: a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Still, whenever we see conservative Liberal governments get in, they always try to erode rights, wages and conditions.
Another hard fought for campaign that is close to my heart and embarked upon by unions was for maternity leave. It goes a long way back. In the 1970s the unions started to increase their advocacy. It spurred on the Whitlam Labor government to introduce three-months paid maternity leave. With constant, and I mean relentless, campaigning from the union movement, subsequent Labor governments made sure this became enshrined in legislation. These are very important things; indeed, I could utilise much more time on this because unions are responsible for equal pay for women, health and safety, workers compensation, the introduction of sick leave and, of course, unfair dismissal protections and long service leave.
The final one I want to touch on is superannuation. It is quite dear to my heart, as a former financial planner. I am always struck by how people assume it is accepted as part of the Australian working and industrial landscape. Those in the Labor Party know that it was really hard fought for and that conservatives, the Liberal Party, the Nationals and, of course, the business community, were insistent that this would be ruinous for the economy. Certainly, in the Labor Party, we understand that superannuation is a critical foundation for ensuring that Australians can have a dignified and secure retirement. That is something we feel really strongly about and I certainly feel strongly about. The superannuation system is there to protect workers. It was fought for by the union movement and started way back in the 1920s. Fast forward and over constant relentless campaigning again by the union movement a pension scheme was introduced for workers. It was only in 1992 that the then Australian Council of Trade Unions' secretary Bill Kelty worked with then Treasurer, Paul Keating, and they finally came up with the universal superannuation scheme, which is now what we all have as soon as we start our working lives. Back then, it was 9% and it has only ever increased under Labor governments that have sought to protect workers' retirement savings and their ability to have a dignified retirement.
I wanted to touch on those reforms. It is nice to reflect on where we have come from in the industrial landscape and highlight why these bills are really important. It is great to have additional days to celebrate and spend time with family, but it is also what it means for working people, what it means for those who are really struggling to make ends meet. I would also like to take the opportunity to give a shout-out to Ben Harris, who represents a lot of these workers in the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association of WA. He is WA branch secretary of the SDA. These workers absolutely deserve to be compensated for the sacrifice of working on days when the rest of us, most of us, get to enjoy family and friends. I 100% support and wish to see this bill passed quickly and move through the other place.
Mr Stephen Pratt (Jandakot) (6:24 pm): I want to take the opportunity to make a contribution to the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025. I have had the luxury of listening to my colleagues today and in recent days. We have witnessed a real capturing of the essence of this bill and what the changes will mean for Western Australians. If I can read my notes, I will do a good job, so we will see how this goes! The basic gist here is that this brings us into line with other states. My take is that this is a commonsense approach. I think there will be broad public support for this bill. I am not certain whether the opposition has indicated which way it will go on this, but I think the general consensus is that most people will welcome this decision once it goes through. I will touch on the main changes briefly, because I do not think I will take up too much of everyone's time. We will be moving Labour Day to the second Monday in March. I do not think there has been too much debate on that part, in that it impacts us in the game of politics. Thankfully, some thought has been given to election years and that date will be moved to the third Monday in March to allow us to do what we do on the hustings and ask everyone for their support to do the work that we do on their behalf. It also includes moving WA Day from June to November. Some of my colleagues have mentioned that this will provide a benefit to everyone who wants to go out and enjoy that day with better weather. Hopefully that comes to fruition in future years. These changes will be implemented in a couple of years time. There is a period in which people can get everything in order and plan for when the changes happen. They can consider what they will do and workers can choose whether they will work on that day and employees can choose whether to open their small businesses. It is a good plan to roll it out in that period and give everyone time to consider their plans.
From my perspective, this legislation brings many benefits: increased wages for workers, a boost to our economic activity and, my favourite, opportunities for families to spend more time together. In my house, I am sure there will be pressure to use this time to go to a local park or play at Lollipop's Playland and Cafe in Jandakot, or go watch some planes take off and land from the Apron Cafe in the Royal Aero Club at Jandakot Airport. This would probably be followed by a trip to the Spudshed on the way home or potentially some of the new cafes in Leeming like The Nice Spot or, one of my favourites, the Emperor's Kitchen for some dim sum. I am looking forward to the opportunity that that presents to spend more time with the kids. One of the big highlights will be Show Day, which is one of the changes. This highlights the significance that the Royal Show plays on our events calendar in Western Australia and the work that the Royal Agricultural Society of WA does to put on that show every year. I was going to say that we have fallen into the trap, but my family is in this cycle whereby we take the kids, and when we had one kid, it was relatively easy. Then we had two and now with three, it is a little more difficult, but we are still making the effort to go. The kids get a show bag each and they have a lot of fun. I have fond memories of going to the show as a kid as well. It is a great decision to make that change and I think it will be very welcomed.
The changes also reflect the importance that we place on workers who often work during unsociable hours. This change reflects the importance and the value that we place on the work that they do. It is great that these changes being made will bring that benefit to people to earn a bit more coin and be able to make a decision about whether they work on these days or spend time with family. That is a great change. As I said in my inaugural speech in this place, I worked in bottle shops, a video store and a fish and chip shop, and I certainly appreciated the extra money that would come in on the busier public holidays.
It gives Western Australians additional time to rest and promotes community identity through things like Show Day. It will modernise the schedule, bring us into line with the other states and allow us to reflect today's contemporary work–life patterns. As a local MP, I get asked from time to time why other states are enjoying a public holiday when we are not, so bringing this into alignment with other states is a good thing. I hope that I have made it clear that I support that. This legislative change provides benefits for workers and families, for businesses and the economy, for community and identity, and for fairness and modernisation.
Some concerns have been raised about the potential cost burden that comes with increased penalty rates and extra wage obligations, particularly for small or family businesses. Thankfully, the Cook government's consultation sought input from more than 10,000 people from businesses, unions, community groups and workers. The outcome in this legislation is something that is considered and will be implemented to suit, hopefully, the majority of people. I suspect that there is a lot of community support for this. I encourage the WA community to embrace the change, and I encourage all employers, employees, unions and communities to engage actively with the transition process over the next few years. I commend the bill to the house.
Ms Emily Hamilton (Joondalup—Parliamentary Secretary) (6:31 pm): I rise to make a brief contribution in support of the Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025, an important reform that reflects our Cook Labor government's commitment to fairness for workers, support for local businesses and improving the quality of life for Western Australians.
This bill recognises the vital role that public holidays play in not only providing workers well-earned rest, but also building community spirit and supporting our economy. When people have time to spend with family, attend local events or activities, or simply enjoy a day off, they also spend money in local businesses, support community groups and contribute to wellbeing and productivity in the longer term. It recognises that Western Australians work hard and deserve a public holiday schedule that values this contribution, reflects their needs and celebrates the vibrant communities that we live in.
Our government introduced this legislation following extensive public holiday review consultation with our community earlier this year. There was a strong response in support of changes to our WA public holidays, and almost 10,000 submissions were received from community members, workers, businesses, families, unions and peak bodies. This bill will better align Western Australia's public holiday dates with other Australian jurisdictions' dates and will create two additional public holidays. The legislation, with the introduction of Easter Saturday and Show Day, means that Western Australians will now enjoy 13 public holidays a calendar year instead of 11, and the changes will come into effect in 2028.
This side, the Labor government, really does support workers. For decades, WA workers missed out on Easter Saturday as a public holiday. If you listen to the other side, the opposition believes that everybody has Easter Saturday off work. Just how out of touch are they! By making Easter Saturday a public holiday, this bill ensures that Western Australian workers, particularly those in hospitality, retail and essential services, finally receive the same entitlements and penalty rates as their counterparts elsewhere. It is a matter of equity and respect for the people who keep our state running, even during the busiest holiday periods. We know that Easter is one of the most cherished long weekends on the WA calendar and for my family. In putting this contribution together, I reflected on our annual salmon fishing trip down south. It was a time we all cherished, and I am told that not a year was missed, even before I was born. It was a time when our family came together and cousins reconnected. We played outside until the sun went down. We honed our beach-fishing skills, or definitely tried to, and we created the special memories and times that I now reflect on and fondly remember. For many, the Easter tradition is more than just a getaway; it is about connection and spending time with loved ones.
For many workers in Joondalup, particularly those in hospitality, retail and tourism, long weekends help to boost visitation and spending. For our frontline and health workers, transport workers and cleaners, public holidays also mean fairer pay for those who make these types of experiences possible for others. The penalty rates ensure that their efforts are valued, and they recognise the social and family time that others give up to keep businesses open and customers served. This reform means fairer pay and recognition for work over long weekends.
The legislation will see Labour Day moved to the second Monday in March or the third Monday in election years. The King's birthday will move to June to align with most of the country. WA Day, as we have heard, will be moved to November when, of course, the weather is better suited to the outdoor events and activities that take place on WA Day. The bill will also introduce a new Show Day public holiday on the first Monday of the September–October school holidays. This new public holiday celebrates our community spirit, and I know it will be truly valued by my Joondalup community. Whether families choose to spend the day at the Perth Royal Show or at a local park along the coast, it will give families another opportunity to spend time together, get out and explore, or even just support local businesses with a coffee.
I have the privilege of representing the seat of Joondalup, which is fast becoming Perth's second CBD. For my community and for WA, public holidays are more than just days marked on the calendar. They are part of our shared social fabric. As I have said, they give us the opportunity to pause, reflect and reconnect with the people and places that matter most. For our growing and dynamic community, public holidays represent a chance to showcase everything that our city has to offer, from our thriving small businesses and hospitality sector to our vibrant arts, culture and community life. We are becoming a destination of choice for our pristine coastline and beaches; our new marina, which is rapidly taking place; Lake Joondalup and Neil Hawkins Park; our new mountain bike trails; our parks; the restaurants and cafes in our city centre; and the big Lakeside Joondalup shopping centre. Of course, we are located quite conveniently along the fantastic transport links of the Metronet rail line, and it is a very accessible location.
When we think about what these reforms mean in practice, we can see the very real benefits for Joondalup residents and local employers. Public holidays bring people out into their communities, and when that happens, local businesses benefit. Every public holiday brings activity, energy and opportunity for our local economy. Also, it is important to recognise that those additional earnings can make a meaningful difference for our local families. These reforms will ensure that public holidays are fair, consistent and balanced, giving Joondalup businesses the certainty to plan ahead and workers the recognition they deserve. By embracing our new public holiday calendar, we can continue to lead the way as a vibrant, family-friendly and community-minded city that celebrates both hard work and the importance of our quality of life.
As someone who comes from a small family business background, I understand both the challenges and the opportunities that public holidays present. I have mentioned in this place before that my dad started a small business when I was quite young, and he grew a number of hospitality businesses, and later manufacturing businesses, over the years. It became a whole-family affair. I and many in my immediate family have worked in that family business over the years, and that experience really has lent itself to providing me with an appreciation of both the need to fairly reward workers and the importance of businesses' need to be able to plan in advance. This legislation strikes the right balance between supporting workers' rights and ensuring business continuity. These changes may sound simple, but their impact is quite substantial. The bill modernises our state's public holiday arrangements, bringing them into line with other jurisdictions', creating that consistency and recognising the evolving nature of work, community and family life. With that, I would like to commend the bill to the house.
Debate adjourned, on motion by Dr Tony Buti (Attorney General).
House adjourned at 6:38:33 pm
Questions on notice answered today are available on the Parliament of Western Australia's website
