Matariki gets a public holiday
For Professor Rangi Mātamua, a Tūhoe astronomer who has become the go-to on Matariki and the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar), Thursday was a day of absolute elation.
The bill making Matariki an official public holiday passed its final reading on Thursday afternoon, which means Aotearoa will have its first Matariki public holiday this year, on June 24.
Te Pire mō te Hararei Tūmatanui o te Kāhui o Matariki (the Matariki Public Holiday Bill) received 77 votes in favour, with National and ACT voting against.
National’s Crown-Māori relations spokesman Shane Reti said Matariki shouldn’t be recognised with a day off unless another public holiday was removed.
Link to video and article: It's official: Matariki gets a public holiday | Stuff.co.nz
