“In a cost of living crisis, the ACT Party cannot support yet another public holiday. It would amount to the Government making small business pay for pageantry,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“New Zealanders are feeling the loss of the Queen, she was a true leader who selflessly served the commonwealth every day of her life. The Government should be asking itself, though, is it fair to put another $450 million of costs onto business in the middle of a cost of living crisis?

“Treasury estimate an extra public holiday costs $450 million. We doubt the Queen, who was famous for being a careful spender, would endorse such extravagance when people are struggling to make ends meet.

“Businesses have already been through so much over the past few years with Covid, another public holiday for Matariki and endless costs being piled on by Government.

“It’s not just business who will suffer, one person who wrote to AM this morning and said while he was a royalist, both he and his wife are independent contractors and can’t afford to lose a day of wages.

“New Zealand is in danger of losing our first world status. People in former communist countries, that we used to feel sorry for, are now richer than us. The wage gap between Kiwi workers and the rest of the developed world continues to grow.

“While some will look to Australia and say we should follow, the comparison makes the point. Australia’s median wage is 42 per cent higher than New Zealand’s. When Labour came to office, it was only 33 per cent. Labour’s mismanagement is why we cannot have nice things.

“While ACT respects the Queen, we also respect business owners and acknowledge that our economy simply can’t afford to take another $450 million hit.”

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