8 hours ago
WA's public holidays may be changed, Premier Roger Cook says as King's Birthday marked
Western Australians could soon see a realignment of public holidays to coincide with the east coast and have an additional public holiday added to the calendar as soon as next year, WA Premier Roger Cook has said.
Mr Cook was quizzed at a media conference this morning about WA's public holiday calendar, given WA Day fell last Monday and not today with the King's Birthday public holiday.
Unlike the ACT, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and Victoria, who celebrate the public holiday on every second Monday in June, WA usually marks the day at the end of September.
"I do want to see a greater alignment between Western Australian public holidays and east coast public holidays," Mr Cook said.
"It's ridiculous you have a situation where Western Australia closes its doors or shuts the shop when the east coast is open for business, and today of course you'll have frustrated members of the Western Australian business community that can't access their colleagues on the east coast."
Mr Cook said there was "definitely a case" for a realignment of WA public holidays with the east and indicated it was something his office was currently working on, suggesting changes may be in place for next year but "probably 2027".
He also said he was exploring an additional public holiday and was taking feedback from the business sector and the community about adding another to WA's calendar.
"We're a part of a national economy and we should be working together much better to ensure better alignment around these days."
The premier did not rule out an additional public holiday and said he was reviewing all WA public holidays — particularly WA Day given it falls in the middle of winter.
"I'm reviewing the whole range of public holidays we have in Western Australia and where they land to make sure that we've got better alignment and that they work better for the WA community," he said.
"Why is it that we had a public holiday last weekend but not this weekend, when they have a public holiday on the east coast? It's just something I think we need to have a look at."
But Mr Cook said his "primary focus" in the review was looking at any realignment and how that would work.
When asked by a reporter if a potential extra public holiday would celebrate his former colleague and be coined 'Mark McGowan Day', the premier gave a tongue-in-cheek comment.
"Well, it's something that's been put to me very enthusiastically and vigorously by Mark McGowan," he laughed.
He said the decision to add another public holiday "won't be taken lightly" and indicated the business community had told him they were interested in having the holidays aligned with the east coast.
