AFL grand final eve is now a public holiday in Victoria

VICTORIANS have just officially scored a new public holiday that has raised eyebrows in the rest of the country. But is it fair?

SUNTAS: Crowd and colour.... AFL Nth Melbourne v St Kilda.

VICTORIA, take the day off.

AFL grand final eve is now the state’s newest public holiday.

Yep, the whole state will take a break on October 2 to watch the footy.

The news was confirmed yesterday by Small Business Minister Philip Dalidakis, but has drawn ire from the business community.

“Grand final Friday presents itself as a great opportunity to celebrate Australia’s national game and spend more time with our family, friends and loved ones,” he said.

It’s not the only time Victoria has taken a holiday for a sporting event.

The state also takes Melbourne Cup Day in November while the rest of Australia has to chuck a sickie instead.

Best of public holidays: Premier Daniel Andrews with the new Victoria logo. The state’s new catch phrase is ‘Best of everything’. Picture Rebecca Michael.

But Victorian state opposition leader Matthew Guy said it wouldn’t last long if the coalition was elected. “I think that’s going to be the most likely policy position, because I can’t see any worth in a grand final public holiday,” Mr Guy told reporters.

“I just think the whole concept of a grand final parade public holiday is ill-conceived and poorly thought out and it’s my natural disposition that it shouldn’t be there,” Mr Guy said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said businesses were opposing public holidays because they didn’t want penalty rates.

“There are some people who don’t like any holidays and they don’t like any penalty rates, and if that’s their view they ought to have the courage to come out and say it,” he said.

The news however, is likely to please the average Victorian, already a buzz with state pride after Melbourne was named the world’s most liveable city for the fifth year in a row.

And it didn’t take the Victorian Premier long to rub it in the nose of his northern rival, NSW Premier Mike Baird, who trolled the whole of Victoria on twitter last week.

Hey @MikeBairdMP #BestOfEverything #VisitVictoria pic.twitter.com/4z3ZQkRguT

— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) August 18, 2015

The AFL holiday announcement came after a consultation period and Australian Industry Group released a survey showing three quarters of local Victorian businesses would not open their doors on ‘Football Friday.’

Almost 80 per cent of manufacturers told AIG they would close that day, and 72 per cent of services and construction businesses said they would do the same.

“There should be no doubt Football Friday is bad news for the state and its businesses,” AIG Victoria director Tim Piper said.

Increasing the number of public holidays in the state would prove to be “a financial disaster” for shopkeepers, said MGA Independent Retailers.

“The declaration of Easter Sunday as a Public Holiday has cost our members more than $1.4 million in additional wages,” MGA chief executive Jos de Bruin said.

Making grand final eve a public holiday would cost member retailers more than $3.2 million in additional wages, at an extra $28.48 an hour for each fulltime employee, he said.

“This is economic vandalism and is simply unsustainable for small businesses, let alone big businesses to absorb ... How can a small independent grocer or liquor store, who is already struggling with high penalty rates, carry this additional cost burden?”

Originally published as AFL grand final eve is now a public holiday in Victoria