Designation of Easter Sunday as a Statutory Holiday
Statutory Holidays Amendment Bill 2026
Private Member's BillHouse of Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Introduced by: Josh Willie MP (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Sarah Lovell ALP
“Mr President, I move - That the bill be read a second time. The Statutory Holidays Amendment Bill 2026 will recognise Easter Sunday as a public holiday in Tasmania, as it already is in every other Australian state and territory. It is a straightforward bill, but it will make a meaningful difference in the lives of working Tasmanians.”
Rebecca Thomas IND
“I rise to support the Statutory Holidays Amendment Bill 2026. At its heart, this is a very simple bill. It inserts Easter Sunday into section 4 of the Statutory Holidays Act 2000 as a statutory holiday. For me, the principle behind this is equally simple: Tasmanian workers should not be treated as second-class workers compared with workers in every other state and territory in Australia.”
“I thank the honourable member for Rumney for bringing forward this bill. I believe it’s an important debate for us to have. I’m very conscious of the fact that we’re trying to make a very delicate and considered decision here. I thank everyone who briefed us - Joel from SDA and I think it was Olivia, Jayden and Matty who came in. That can’t have been easy coming and facing all of us there.”
Ruth Forrest IND
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this bill as well. It’s a private member’s bill being bought in by the member for Rumney.”
Casey Hiscutt IND
“Thank you, Mr President. I would like to note that it is by an interesting quirk of timing that we have not one but two amendments to the Statutory Holidays Act 2000 on the Notice Paper. I wanted to note this up-front and clear the air to the Chamber that, although they look very similar, they are very different.”
Meg Webb IND
“It’s a real pleasure to stand in support of this bill, and congratulations to the Labor Party for bringing it forward to this Chamber, putting the work in and consulting and walking us through it, providing briefings as required. I think that’s a great effort and well done to you.”
“Mr President, I actually left my speech over there because it largely repeated everything that everybody said, so I’ve just picked up the last page for the sake of brevity. Ultimately this debate comes down to competing interests. On the one side are the concerns about increased business costs.”
Michael Gaffney IND
“I rise to speak on the Statutory Holidays Amendment Bill 2026 and acknowledge the briefings, the numerous contacts from constituents, community groups and business organisations, and the efforts of the honourable member for Rumney.”
Luke Edmunds ALP
“Mr President, I’ll speak briefly about this this bill tonight, having had my colleague from Rumney do such a great job with her second reading speech. I’m sure she will sum up as Sarah the Specialist, perhaps, to lean into Mr Hiscutt’s gags from before. I rise as Luke from the Labor Party, and of course I support this bill.”
Tania Rattray IND
“Thank you, Mr President. It is really nice to see a former colleague in the House tonight, Josh Willie, and his colleague as well, Ms Haddad. A couple of things I would like to say before I commence the government’s contribution. Seven-day-a-week trading commenced in our state on 1 December 2002, and I remember it well.”
Mr PRESIDENT
“The question is that the bill be read the second time. The Council divided - AYES 10 NOES 4 Ms Armitage Mr Duigan Mr Edmunds Ms Palmer Ms Forrest Ms Rattray (Teller) Mr Gaffney (Teller) Mr Vincent Ms Glade-Wright Mr Hiscutt Ms Lovell Ms O’Connor Ms Thomas Ms Webb Bill read the second time. [11.03 p.m.]”