Our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced a new national holiday, and not everyone is stoked. Some folks are upset with the fact that a day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II is happening so soon. This day off is slated for September 22.
One concerned organisation is the Australian Retailers Association (ARA). “This event will create some complications for businesses with store closures and staff scheduling challenges, with many rosters set up weeks in advance,” explained the joint’s CEO, Paul Zahra. “There will also be a small but unexpected loss of trade, and additional staffing costs, which may impact cashflows for small businesses.”
Zahra also noted, “Store opening and closing directions are typically established by the states and territories, and we look forward to their direction today so retailers can plan accordingly.”
Moreover, The Latch reported earlier on August 12 that this public holiday might cause issues for the medical industry. If it was placed later on in the year, then these hard working folks would have been able to support their patients more effectively.
“The short notice that’s been given for this public holiday will have ramifications for patients and of course an already struggling health system,” said the Australian Medical Association’s President, Steve Robson, as per The Guardian.
He fought for this position by stating, “We will once again be playing catchup and having to explain to many patients that their care will be delayed, which in some cases may be for several weeks or more.”
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However, our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has gone on the offensive. He’s not conceding that there’s any problems with his holiday.
In a press conference he stated, “This is the first time that we have had a change of a head of state and in which we have been in a position where Australia needs to, and wants to, give thanks to the contribution of Queen Elizabeth II as our head of state for 70 years. A one-off public holiday and a National Day of Mourning is an appropriate response. It was agreed to by myself and the Premiers and Chief Ministers.”
It’s worth noting that this point doesn’t address the fact this public holiday could have been organised for later on in the year.
But this isn’t the only argument that Albanese made. He said, “The idea that operations don’t occur during a public holiday is of course not correct. Medical procedures, of course, are always a priority.”
However, a litany of doctors have disputed this claim. Take for instance, Eric Levi, who works for a private practice. This man told 3AW in an interview, “All elective surgery and all elective clinics will be cancelled.” Moreover, around 60 cancer patients were told that they can’t come in on that day.
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