ANZAC Day falls on a Saturday next year and according to the NSW Public Holidays Act no additional day will be granted for the national remembrance.
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And that’s precisely the way it should be, according to members of the Orange RSL sub branch, who believe a public holiday on Monday in lieu of the day would be unnecessary.
“There shouldn’t be an extra public holiday. Anzac Day should be commemorated and celebrated on the day that it falls, no matter what day of the week that is,” Orange RSL sub branch secretary Les McGaw said.
“People might want the day off for a long weekend but a public holiday on Monday will do nothing to add or subtract to the meaning of Anzac Day on Saturday.”
That opinion was shared by Orange sub branch president Lindsay Wright.
“Anzac Day will be celebrated on Saturday, that’s all I have to say about it,” he said.
Both Anzac Day and Boxing Day fall on a Saturday next year, but only one will be marked with a public holiday.
Opposition leader John Robertson said he would support any decision from the RSL to seek an additional public holiday.
But both Mr McGaw and Mr Wright said the RSL was unlikely to seek such a holiday.
Australian Federation of Employees and Industries chief executive officer Garry Brack agreed there should be no day off, stating public holidays should occur on the day the event occurred.
He said the extra day off would mean less productivity statewide and said the last time Anzac Day fell on a Saturday, in 2009, no extra holiday was allocated.