The Princess Royal accompanied Queen Elizabeth's coffin as it made the trip south from Edinburgh to London, arriving at Buckingham Palace. Video / AP
OPINION
The Government found itself between a rock and a hard place when it came to making a decision about whether to hold a state memorial to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Damned if it does, damned if it doesn't.
The decision was made on Monday that apublic holiday would be held on September 26 to mark the monarch's death.
New Zealand is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and, in the words of Act Party leader David Seymour, small businesses are now being forced to pay for pageantry.
It's been a tough few years for local business owners, but an extra long weekend just does not make sense, especially when the country just had another day added to the holiday calendar - Matariki in June.
A 2020 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment report into the prospect of Matariki deemed it could cost businesses between $377-448 million. It did not, however, include any potential economic benefits.
People watching the state hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II on the way from RAF Northolt to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Photo / AP
I believe it is fair to assume a similar cost could apply to this memorial day. And that the 546,000 small businesses making up 97 per cent of NZ firms almost 30 per cent of employment will be the ones hit hardest.
Imagine the headache this is causing business owners already struggling to recruit staff - the holiday could make it even harder to find cover.
Then there are penal rates to pay. Employees that work on a public holiday must be paid at least time-and-a-half. If it falls on a normal working day for them, they must also get a paid day off at a later date.
While the Queen being Britain's longest-serving monarch with a 70-year reign is laudable, this is not the time for another day off.
For me, the Queen's death felt more abstract than personal - a moment in time - and I've heard similar thoughts from other young people.
I can understand why people want to mourn her and celebrate her work ethic, stoicism and sense of duty towards the Commonwealth but to me, the Queen was simply a person doing a job she was born to do.
Surely those who want to pay tribute could do so in their own way or take a day off without the entire nation being forced into a public holiday.
With inflation ballooning at an alarming rate and food prices skyrocketing, lumping small business owners with another cost is the wrong decision.
