❓ The Premier outlines the Cook Labor government's proposed changes to public holidays in WA, including the introduction of Easter Saturday and Show Day, and the rescheduling of Labour Day, King's Birthday, and WA Day, aiming to boost the economy and align with other states.
AnsweredQoN 455Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025455.Ms Sook Yee Laito
thePremier:I refer the Premier
to the Cook Labor government's commitment to keep the Western Australian
economy strong. Can the Premier update the house on any new initiatives that
will support productivity and economic activity across the state?
thePremier:I refer the Premier
to the Cook Labor government's commitment to keep the Western Australian
economy strong. Can the Premier update the house on any new initiatives that
will support productivity and economic activity across the state?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 September 2025
Response time
0 days
Mr Roger Cook replied:I thank the member
for the question. She has a lot in common with all Western Australians, and
that is that she is hardworking. We know that Western Australians are a
hardworking bunch. In fact, that is one of the reasons we are the strongest
economy in the country. But when we are not working hard and being the engine
room of the national economy, we play hard. Why, then, do Western Australians
enjoy fewer public holidays than their Eastern States counterparts? It is not
just a mystery or an anomaly; it is just not right. The WA Labor government has
sought to right that wrong. After all, when it comes to keeping the economy
strong, it is Western Australians who have been doing the heavy lifting.In July we began a consultation process and we have
since heard from 10,000 individuals, businesses andorganisations about
changes to our public holidays. The feedback was clear: there is a strong
appetite for reform. Therefore, our Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill
proposes the following changes. Two new public holidays will be created—Easter
Saturday, like every other mainland state, and Show Day, to coincide with the
first Monday of the September-October school holidays. To better align with
other Australian states, we will move Labour Day to the second Monday in March,
apart from election years, and we will move the King's Birthday public holiday
to the second Monday in June. Lastly, WA Day will be celebrated on the second
Monday in November so that we have better weather and more people can
participate and celebrate this great state.We recognise that
these changes are not without some impact. Show Day and Easter Saturday could
generate an increase in wages for hospitality workers and, of course, the hospitality
and tourism industry will benefit from the extra public holidays. In
recognition of that and to allow time to prepare, the changes are proposed to
take effect from 2028.There are some who
think there is nothing to celebrate in WA. There are some who think we should
never take a day off or celebrate until every issue in this state is completely
resolved. We do not subscribe to that view. We believe that every Western
Australian deserves time off because they are hardworking and that we should
align our holidays as best we can with the rest of the country as part of
strong productivity measures. These reforms are about creating a more modern
and inclusive Western Australia. It is about making sure that our public
holidays are celebrated in a way that can maximise their impact and benefit to
the Western Australian economy and Western Australian workers. These changes
are well overdue and well deserved. I urge members to get behind this bill.
Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025
for the question. She has a lot in common with all Western Australians, and
that is that she is hardworking. We know that Western Australians are a
hardworking bunch. In fact, that is one of the reasons we are the strongest
economy in the country. But when we are not working hard and being the engine
room of the national economy, we play hard. Why, then, do Western Australians
enjoy fewer public holidays than their Eastern States counterparts? It is not
just a mystery or an anomaly; it is just not right. The WA Labor government has
sought to right that wrong. After all, when it comes to keeping the economy
strong, it is Western Australians who have been doing the heavy lifting.In July we began a consultation process and we have
since heard from 10,000 individuals, businesses andorganisations about
changes to our public holidays. The feedback was clear: there is a strong
appetite for reform. Therefore, our Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill
proposes the following changes. Two new public holidays will be created—Easter
Saturday, like every other mainland state, and Show Day, to coincide with the
first Monday of the September-October school holidays. To better align with
other Australian states, we will move Labour Day to the second Monday in March,
apart from election years, and we will move the King's Birthday public holiday
to the second Monday in June. Lastly, WA Day will be celebrated on the second
Monday in November so that we have better weather and more people can
participate and celebrate this great state.We recognise that
these changes are not without some impact. Show Day and Easter Saturday could
generate an increase in wages for hospitality workers and, of course, the hospitality
and tourism industry will benefit from the extra public holidays. In
recognition of that and to allow time to prepare, the changes are proposed to
take effect from 2028.There are some who
think there is nothing to celebrate in WA. There are some who think we should
never take a day off or celebrate until every issue in this state is completely
resolved. We do not subscribe to that view. We believe that every Western
Australian deserves time off because they are hardworking and that we should
align our holidays as best we can with the rest of the country as part of
strong productivity measures. These reforms are about creating a more modern
and inclusive Western Australia. It is about making sure that our public
holidays are celebrated in a way that can maximise their impact and benefit to
the Western Australian economy and Western Australian workers. These changes
are well overdue and well deserved. I urge members to get behind this bill.
Public and Bank Holidays Amendment Bill 2025
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.