Download Leon Zembekis - Department of Economic Development, Jobs

Leon Zembekis
3 August 2015
Mr. Roger Arwas
Executive Director, Small Business Victoria
Dept. of Economics Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.
GPO Box 4509 Melb Vic 3001
Dear Roger,
I would like to contribute my thoughts on Dan’s electoral pledge to add two public holidays for
Victorians within the terms of reference of your department’s Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS).
The sentiment of adding two public holidays to Victoria’s calendar is admirable. 1700 years have
elapsed since Catholic Roman Emperor Constantine the Great declared Sunday a day of rest for his
subjects. On average it has taken 154.5 years between adding another public holiday to reach Victoria’s
current 11 days by the Roman calendar. This appears slow progress when you consider all the
technological advancements that have taken place and transformed our planet from pre-agrarian to
urbanisation.
Indigenous peoples worked fewer days when hunting and gathering for their families’ energy needs and
cultural pursuits. Colonial empires stole their lands and indentured them to slavery and work for food
and shelter as done in Australia. Therefore one can conclude that leisure time for inhabitants who
perform work on this continent have regressed since white settlement.
Gross Domestic Product since Constantine’s empire to today’s Commonwealth of Victoria’s economy,
has exponentially grown; work output per person is tens of thousands times greater, yet our holidays
have only increased by thousands of percentage points.
Today, most capitalist countries, including China, contain a surplus of people, therefore there is a
growing number of idle poor and a smaller minority of idle rich, with approximately 70% of working
able are needed to perform the daily work required to keep States operating- schools, military,
teachers, hospitals etc.
GDP and other wealth indicators such as happiness index, surplus of people and mental well being
indicate that two additional holidays to Victoria’s calendar can be afforded and appear needed. If Friday
is added as part of the weekend, this will lead to employing more people in the leisure and cultural
pursuits industries.
The economy will be further stimulated, just as the RIS report stimulated PWC’s accounts. The PWC
report didn’t provide the economic benefits to the environment if GDP is maintained or even slowed so
human and environmental well being can be achieved.
The Easter Sunday public holiday can be reconsidered to May the 1st as this date is recognised globally
as International Day of the worker - May Day. Daniel Andrews, as an ALP leader, ought to prioritise May
Day, though Easter has the historical basis of a public holiday, therefore it has a better chance of being
gained as a crucifixion holiday – after all holidays are about greater joy and less industrial pain.
Businesses will have the freedom of choice on whether they trade on public holidays, and Keynesian
economics will further stimulate the capitalist economy in the extra wages paid to state employees and
service sector workers. Extra wages is not the enemy to small business. Many small businesses suffer
because they cannot compete with corporations and their resource dominance. To assist renting
business owners, if land is viewed as benefiting early entrants due to population growth, this puts
unrealistic pressure on late entrants. Land as a commodity has to be revaluated, it ought to be treated
like the oxygen we breathe, no one can own it, the economic concept of diminishing rates of return,
forces business owners to pay greater rents due to unproductive rent seekers, therefore the federal
government’s tax review needs to introduce laws which accounts land as a finite resource for an
expanding population and capitalist economy.
The capitalist economy is failing many Victorians and workers globally, and its environmental
transformations are causing many species habitats to decline. Providing extra holidays and longer
weekend by adding Friday, there will be productivity gains due to human and environmental health
improvements.
Sincerely,
Leon Zembekis