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When the idea of a public holiday should the Matildas win the FIFA Women's World Cup was first floated, I grumbled.
Pfft, these politicians are being nakedly transparent, currying favour with the suddenly soccer-obsessed nation and lamely and prematurely trying to channel Bob Hawke's famous moment when Australia won the America's Cup in 1983 - "I tell you what, any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."
Then came Saturday night and that match against France.
It's still there, the knot in the back of my neck which tightened as I sat like so many Australians on the edge of my chair through the entire thing. I'm no sports fan but was talked into watching the match and haven't been quite the same since. Hours later, the effects of that penalty shootout had become such a pain in the neck I couldn't sleep.
My brain triggered a fight or flight response, tightening the muscles, especially those in the neck. It sent a surge of cortisol from my adrenal glands throughout my body, readying it to meet a physical threat. The reaction was the same as an echidna raising its quills and going to ground when threatened - a ball of tension.
Days later, anticipating the showdown between the Matildas and England tonight, I feel the neck tightening once more.
I'm not a fan of politicians intruding upon sport, seeking gilt by association. The sight of Anthony Albanese, Annika Wells and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk invading the pitch after the Matildas triumph sat awkwardly with me. And so did the elevation of a public holiday thought bubble into a national issue.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers entered the public holiday fray yesterday. Chiding Peter Dutton and David Littleproud for poo-pooing the idea, he said the very least that could be done after such a big night was to give Australians a chance to recover. My sore neck told me he might be right; my rational brain told me otherwise.
What of the stressed sore necks of the thousands of businesses, not to mention schools, which will have to scramble to rearrange the deckchairs to accommodate an unscheduled public holiday? The smart ones are no doubt already making contingency plans. Statutory requirements mean they'll have seven days' notice to prepare should the Matildas win, which in turn means sports fans won't have the day to recover when it's most needed - the day after.
Chalmers called Dutton and Littleproud spoilsports. Dutton claimed the cost of the holiday would be $2 billion and it would leave no legacy. Much better, he said, to invest money in sports infrastructure, promising $250 million should the Coalition win government at the next election. Chalmers retorted with a snide remark about the "party of sports rorts". The debate descended into the grubby political ritual that has no place on the sidelines of the Matildas run at glory.
In tossing the idea onto the pitch, our political leaders have created uncertainty when it's least needed or wanted. We'd all be better served if they just let us get on with enjoying the World Cup without blemishing it with their childish games.
Besides - and I certainly hope it doesn't go this way - it might all be a moot point by the end of the evening. Now, excuse me while I wander up the road to the physio to get the neck seen to.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you support a public holiday if the Matildas win? Or is it an unfair imposition on business and schools? Should politicians refrain from basking in the reflected glory of our sporting heroines? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Four Australians who went missing on a boat off Indonesia have been found alive according to a family member. The father of Elliot Foote, who was missing alongside Steph Weisse, Will Teagle and Jordan Short, confirmed he had received a text from his son - the final member of the group to be found.
- "Vast opportunities" lie ahead if the nation takes maximum advantage of big shifts underway in the economy, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said. Flagging the release of the latest intergenerational report on August 24, Dr Chalmers said the document would highlight the major forces shaping the society, the economy and the budget over the next 40 years. These would include the shift to renewables, the rise of artificial intelligence, the ageing of the population and the possible retreat of globalisation.
- Households are spending up on major events and experiences like the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Barbenheimer phenomenon while simultaneously cutting back sharply on haircuts, travel, new clothes and other discretionary purchases as they adjust to the increasing pressure on family budgets, according to research by the Commonwealth Bank..
THEY SAID IT: "Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke." - Will Rogers
YOU SAID IT: Electric Mustangs, pick-up trucks and school buses. America gallops ahead in the race to renewable energy, creating fears Australia will be left behind.
Tim writes: "I am happy to see incentives for electric vehicles, as long as they don't include penalties for petrol vehicles. In our vast land and small inland population we still need petrol and diesel vehicles. I am sure the government's new incentives will also include needless penalties."
"In reference to your question about whether the government is doing enough to combat climate change, the clear answer is no," writes Ian from Culburra Beach. "As a major coal and gas exporter Australia makes an outsized contribution to climate change. This means we also have the opportunity to be a world leader and announce no new coal and gas mines will be approved. There is enough coal and gas from existing mines to see us through the transition to renewables. And we have the remarkable good fortune to be able to replace coal and gas exports with lithium."
John agrees: "With Newcastle being the largest coal port in the world, new coal mining being approved, minimal support being given to EVs and continuing support of the fossil industry, that big donor to both major parties, it's impossible to say that the Albanese government is doing enough to fight climate change."
"Not enough is being done by the Labor government," writes Julie. "They are still approving new coal mines and fracking and the Environment Minister is also missing in action. A wise native American said, as a soaring eagle came into view, 'A bird has both a left wing and a right wing.' That sums up the Australian two-party system - birds of a feather."
Arthur writes in support of the nuclear option: "Anthony Albanese has his heart in the right place but his priorities like those of many in government from both sides are wrong. Australia has to face the fact that the only way to become carbon neutral is to include nuclear power into the mix of wind, solar and pumped hydro. The demand for electricity will escalate as we switch to green energy and wind, solar and pumped hydro will not meet that demand. Covering the country with square kilometres of solar panels, erecting turbines on top of every hill and building kilometres of transmission lines is defacing our beautiful country. The sites of closed coal-fired power stations warrant consideration as suitable locations for nuclear power plants because the transmission lines and other infrastructure are already in place. It is time for a rethink on nuclear power stations in Australia."