Is Australia getting a day off if the Matildas win the World Cup?
Sam Kerr and co are just two wins away from an unthinkable maiden World Cup win, potentially giving Australians a public holiday.
There's growing support for a national public holiday if the Matildas can pull off one of the country's greatest sporting moments by winning the Women's World Cup. The team is just two victories away from glory, which could give millions of Australians a day off towards the end of August.
What you should know
NSW Premier Chris Minns is the first premier to confirm a public holiday for his state's residents if Sam Kerr leads the Matildas to a World Cup final victory.
Other states and territories will discuss the matter at National Cabinet on Wednesday.
While a proposed date is unclear, Minns ruled out the day after Sunday's final. He says there would need to be seven days' notice.
Not everyone supports the public holiday. There are concerns it would cost Aussie small businesses millions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese cannot make the call, it is for state and territory leaders to decide.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton opposes the idea, saying it's better to focus on funding for women's sport.
❓Why is this happening?
Having a soccer team in a World Cup semi-final is unprecedented for Australia. And while the Matildas are far from the underdogs the Socceroos are at World Cups, they were not among the favourites entering the tournament.
Support for the Matildas has reached fever pitch with an average of 4.17 million people tuning in for Saturday's quarter final win over France, making it the most watched broadcast in the past 10 years, according to OzTAM data. Wednesday's semi-final versus England could break Cathy Freeman's all-time record of 8.8 million set at the 2000 Olympics.
😠Why it's controversial
The Nationals say while they fully support the Matildas, a public holiday could hurt small businesses for the following reasons:
Businesses struggle to roster enough staff on public holidays.
Operational costs are higher because of penalty rates.
Businesses might be forced to reduce trading hours, which means less income.
Albanese has dismissed concerns about businesses and argued a day off could boost the economy.
Some people are also angry there was no talk of a public holiday for the Diamonds who won the Netball World Cup earlier this month.
🗣️What are they saying?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: "What we need to do is to have a proper celebration of the Matilda‘s and their achievements."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton: “It is a stunt which will have no legacy impact. The prime minister has tried to make the Matildas’ success all about him.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns: "We’ll pursue a public holiday in NSW but not just to celebrate the victory, but also to have a massive civic celebration and allow the Matildas to celebrate with the people of Sydney."
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews before the last 16 tie: "Let's not jinx this, let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Nationals Leader David Littleproud on ABC's Insiders: "We’ve just got to understand that someone’s got to foot that bill and businesses out there are doing it tough. We live in a great nation – we can celebrate our wins – but we have to get on and pay the bills and make sure that the country keeps going.”
🫵🏽What do you think?
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
