New push to change Dan’s grand final public holiday

Business groups are again campaigning to move the Grand Final holiday.

The Australian Industry Group concedes the holiday is here to stay, but says it should be on the Monday, not Friday.

The group’s Tim Piper told the Herald Sun that Friday is a crucial day in the working week and the cost of opening for some retailers is prohibitive.

He told 3AW this morning the holiday costs business about $1.2 billion.

“Football’s very important to Victoria but whether it’s worth $1 billion additionally to what we’re already paying is another question,” he said.

“And let me tell you, I think people would prefer to have the public holiday on the Monday.”

It says moving to the Monday would bring Victoria into line with public holidays in other states.

But the Victorian Chamber of Commerce still doesn’t want the public holiday at all, saying it would still cost big dollars to local business regardless of whether it’s held on Friday or Monday.