Floral tributes for Queen Elizabeth II are laid at Green Park, near Buckingham Palace, in London on 11 September, 2022. Photo: AFP / SEBASTIEN BOZON
BusinessNZ says it does not support a public holiday to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II as Cabinet considers the move today.
Australia has already confirmed they will have a one-off public holiday for the National Day of Mourning on 22 September.
But BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope told Morning Report the government needed to be careful in making a call that would impose new costs on local business, even if it was just for this year.
Businesses had already suffered losses from the pandemic, he said.
"Certainly I don't think there's any problem with a memorial, I think there'll be a lot of people who will be wanting to attend that but to add another public holiday, as I said, at a time when many businesses have struggled is a bridge too far."
"Cabinet will have to consider the costs that it imposes on businesses" - BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope
Even a half-day public holiday would still be costly for businesses, he said.
"We prefer not to have that."
He said there might be some businesses who voluntarily choose to close to observe the day of the memorial service.
"That's their choice, right? As opposed to having it imposed on them."